Joy to the World

It’s the time of year where merry bells keep ringing and carolers sing all time favorites like “Joy to the World”.

But maybe there isn’t joy in your world this year. Maybe Christmas used to be your favorite holiday, but now all you can do is swallow the lump that rises in your throat when you remember what you lost. Maybe the peace and goodwill among men seems so far away. Like a distant memory, another world, another time, and place.

The past couple years have been emotional roller coasters to say the least. Especially around Christmastime, the weary world seeks desperately for a fragment of hope.

But in all current circumstances, hope might seem so foreign.

There have been moments this past year when I felt inexpressible sorrow flood my soul. The pain was so deep, my heart so heavy, I didn’t know how I’d make it through. People have lost loved ones, families were shattered, and it felt like all was lost.

In a world like that, how can we have joy?

How can we have peace in our hearts when the world around us is full of hatred and strife? When hope feels lost, how can we have hope about anything?

There are people in this world who have everything, riches, fame, love and acceptance from everyone they encounter, yet they’re miserable. There are still others who are abandoned and rejected by the world, they’re barely surviving, and yet, their joy is endless.

Why?

Jesus makes all the difference.

I am that person who is definitely not rich and famous, and if I’m being honest, sometimes I find myself feeling rejected and misunderstood by others.

And yet, by the grace of God, my joy is endless. I’m not perfect, I definitely don’t have it all together now and I don’t think I ever will. But when everything else is stripped away, I realize that nothing else will complete my joy but Jesus Christ.

My circumstances may stay the same, but it’s the position of my heart that has changed. And with a heart full of worship, it is then that I can truly sing “Joy to the World.”

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