Joy is Not a Choice: Why Your Happiness Matters to God

Joy is an integral part of the Christian life. Scripture is clear: God’s people are not only called to joy, but are characterized by it.

Our Heavenly Father is not indifferent to our happiness. Joy is not just a garnish on the main course of the Christian life. It is not «icing on the cake,» but a key ingredient in a complex recipe.

It is not that life is all joy. But it is in our most painful losses and sufferings that we discover how deep the wellsprings of Christian joy are. Only here, in trials and darkness, do we experience the essence of this joy—not superficial, empty, or frivolous, but deep, meaningful, and fulfilling.

Joy is possible

For many people, the message that joy is not a choice sounds like a promise and a hope. If joy is necessary, it means it is possible. In a world filled with sin, suffering, chaos, and misery, the good news is that joy is still possible.

First of all, joy is a commandment that runs throughout Scripture. God commanded it to his chosen people, Israel, and perhaps this is most clearly seen in the Psalms: «Let Israel rejoice in their Maker; let the children of Zion be glad in their King» (Ps. 149:2). «Then Jacob will rejoice and Israel will be glad» (Ps. 14:7). «Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous ones» (Ps. 97:12). «Serve the Lord with gladness» (Ps. 100:2). «Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous ones; shout for joy, all you upright in heart» (Ps. 32:11). And these are just a few examples of hundreds of others that can be found in the Old Testament.

But the command to rejoice is not limited to Israel. God commands all nations to rejoice in their Creator: «Let the nations praise you, O God; let all the peoples glorify you!» (Ps. 67:4). And even the natural world is called to share in this joy: «Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; let the sea roar, and all that fills it» (Ps. 96:11).

In the New Testament, God himself, in the fullness of humanity, does not change his message, even when he becomes «a man of sorrows» in our sinful world (Isa. 53:3). He also commands us to rejoice and gives us even more reasons to rejoice. «Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven» (Matt. 5:12). «Rejoice in that day and leap for joy» (Luke 6:23). «Rejoice, because your names are written in heaven!» (Luke 10:20). Yes, joy is possible—a joy so real and profound that we turn to our friends and neighbors, saying, «Rejoice with me» (Luke 15:6, 9).

«"We have access to a profound joy that coexists with and is deeper than our sorrows.".

If it wasn’t clear enough by now, the apostle Paul further emphasizes the importance of joy in his letters to the churches. «Rejoice in hope…Rejoice with those who rejoice» (Rom. 12:12, 15). «Therefore, brothers, rejoice» (2 Cor. 13:11). «Rejoice always» (1 Thess. 5:16). And then there’s a real wave of joy in his letter to the Philippians: «Rejoice and be glad with me» (Phil. 2:18). «Rejoice in the Lord» (Phil. 3:1). «Rejoice in the Lord always; and again I will say, rejoice!» (Phil. 4:4). This does not mean that we are indifferent to the many sufferings of this age, but in Christ we have access to a profound joy that coexists with our greatest sorrows and even surpasses them, for we are «as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing» (2 Cor. 6:10).

One reason the Bible so strongly encourages joy is because of God’s goodness. The command to rejoice in us is based on the truth of His goodness. «You shall rejoice in all the good things that the Lord your God has given you» (Deut. 26:11). Joy in the heart of the creature corresponds to the goodness in the heart of the Creator. Joy is the natural response of the recipient to the generosity of the Giver.

But I don't feel joy.

Some people see the commandments of joy as opportunities; others see them as problems. And both reactions have a basis. We are sinners, spiritually dead by nature (Eph. 2:1–3). We are often emotionally unstable and spiritually sluggish. Even in Christ, we experience daily fluctuations—from indifferent hearts to spiritually awakened, then back to dryness again.

Those of us who know ourselves well and learn to be honest with reality realize how little we truly rejoice, and we turn again and again to our Father: «Restore to me the joy of your salvation» (Ps. 51:14).

For such people, who are aware of their weakness and feel an inner lethargy, the news that joy is not a choice can be perceived as an additional burden on already burdened shoulders.

But our lack of joy is not the end of the story. There is another infinitely powerful factor in this equation.

God absolutely devoted to your joy

Given our endless failures, it is incredibly good news that God himself is absolutely committed to our eternal joy in Him. In fact, we could say that He is as committed to our joy in Him as He is to His ultimate purpose in the universe: to be honored and glorified. After all, our joy is inextricably linked to His glory. As John Piper poetically puts it: «"God is most glorified in us when we are most pleased with Him.".

«"God is as committed to our joy in Him as He is to His higher purpose in the universe.".

God is righteous, and therefore cannot be indifferent to His glory. And the good news for those of us who rely on the blood and righteousness of His Son is that He is not indifferent to our joy either. Not the superficial, frivolous, empty «joy» that only external circumstances in a sinful world can bring, but the deep, meaningful, and rich joy that can be greater and deeper than the most difficult trials of life.

In Christ, God is not merely no longer against us in His almighty wrath, but He is now for us—for our deep and lasting joy—in His almighty love. His promise through the prophet Jeremiah is addressed to us in Christ: «I will rejoice in them with all my heart and with all my soul to do them good; and I will plant them in this land in faithfulness» (Jer. 32:41).

Our joy will not be perfect in this life; we will always be struggling and struggling. We will have our anxieties and worries. We will experience our ups and downs. Yet even here we have a taste of it. Perfect joy is yet to come, but we can already taste its sweetness, especially in suffering. «Though you have not seen him, you love him; and though you do not see him now, you believe in him and rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory» (1 Pet. 1:8).

It is good news that joy is not a choice in the Christian life, for the ultimate responsibility lies not on our weak shoulders, but on the almighty shoulders of God Himself.