The Gift of Joy

As 2017 comes to an end, I can reflect on a common theme for this wonderful year: joy. Not only have the events been joyous and full of celebration, I have tried my best to seek joy in every situation. Or when things are not going as planned, to consider it all joy. (James 1:2) Because really, each moment that is given to us – the good and the bad – are all gifts that we should be celebrating and counting as joy.

One of the best parts about Christmas is giving gifts. Of course receiving gifts is just as fun, but there’s something about staying up late making something special for your loved ones. My cousin Erin and I tend to go overboard on Christmas shopping for others. We try our best to come up with something creative, yet essential and we get excited watching others rip open the presents that we spent lots of time preparing or planning.

A gift that we all have received that took planning, preparation and lots of love was the birth of our Savior. Another gift that we received on that very first Christmas that we experience every day out of the year is joy. I know how I feel when I give gifts to others, so I am sure that God is extremely satisfied when He sees us realizing that it all comes from Him. He can see us light up as we acknowledge our gifts that we have received from the Creator of the Universe.

When the angel of the Lord appeared to the shepherds outside of Bethlehem, he told them, “I bring you good tidings of great joy.” Luke 2:10 That joy that he was talking about was the birth of Baby Jesus. Imagine the joy sailing through the starry sky that night. The joy then is the joy we still feel now.

If we seek joy every single day, it’s like we are experiencing a new gift every single day. Imagine Christmas morning and unwrapping the biggest gift under the tree – we can experience that feeling all year long if we continuously seek the joy that God gives us and helps us find.

When I was in elementary school, I loved preparing for the Christmas program. One of my favorites to perform was “Joy to the World.” It was upbeat, it was full of excitement and honestly, it was easy to remember. The song declares that the Lord has come so we should sing about it, repeat the good news, and enjoy the wonders of His love. During this Christmas season and beyond, I challenge you to be joy-seekers. Find the real source of joy in Him during the holidays and carry it throughout the rest of the year. Open that gift and even better, give it to others. The best gift you can give someone else is introducing Jesus to them and giving them the gift of joy.

“Every good and perfect gift is from above.” James 1:17