JOY TO THE WORLD
Joy to the World is, hands down, my favorite Christmas song ever, but especially the version by Rend Collective. It just embodies everything that Christmas should be: merry, jolly, and just plain happy, simply because Jesus is our joy.
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13
This season, I encourage you to choose joy. No. Actually, I encourage you to chase after it with everything inside of you, and when you catch it, never let it go.
“Be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead!” 1 Peter 1:6
“Joy to the World” is, naturally, a joyful song that not only celebrates the birth of Jesus, but also reminds us that Jesus’s birth was the exact moment when true joy was brought into the world.
Wow. Let that sink in for a moment. Before Jesus, joy did not exist. I’m sure people felt happiness, but happiness is superficial, temporary and based on circumstance, like a free coffee or student loan forgiveness. Yes, we all feel #blessed when the person in front of us pays for our coffee at Starbucks, and I’m sure we’d all be jumping up and down with excitement if someone decided to pay off our student loans, but as soon as you spill that coffee all over your brand new coat or have to pay an unexpected bill, your happiness starts to dwindle a bit.
Joy, on the other hand, is complete and full, like filling a glass of water to the brim right before it overflows. Joy is peace dancing, and Jesus went to the cross as a blameless man and selflessly bared our sins so that we could have access to eternal joy.
“In your presence is fullness of joy.” Psalm 16:1
One of the lyrics in “Joy to the World” is, “Let earth receive her King.” That places some responsibility on us: to receive the gift of Jesus in order to open up the door to allow everlasting joy to enter our lives.
“…So that my joy may be in you, and your joy may be full.” John 15:11
This Christmas, I pray that you feel the utmost happiness when you open the gift you really wanted, catch up with the loved ones you haven’t seen in quite some time, and even while you’re snacking on Christmas cookies… but I also pray that you seize the audacious joy that Jesus gifted to you well after the presents have been opened, the tree has come down, and the anticipation of your day-to-day life starts to kick back in. I pray that you cling to joy in the waiting, throughout the chaos, and in the mundane, and I pray that you always continue to claim joy in the journey that God has set before you.