“REAL JOY”

9 “So I became great and surpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem. Also my wisdom remained with me. 10 And whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I kept my heart from no pleasure, for my heart found pleasure in all my toil, and this was my reward for all my toil. 11 Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun.”

Ecclesiastes 2:9-11

In yesterday’s blog, we were reminded that only Jesus gives realistic hope. Let’s wrap things up with our last point.

Talk about real joy.

Everybody wants to be happy. Quite frankly, that’s what we are running after. We do what we do because we ultimately want our hearts to be filled with joy. We take pleasure when our bodies release good hormones and we want to replicate the experience. But trying to be blissful itself is not the ultimate purpose of life.

Unfortunately, the pursuit of happiness will fail if God is not part of the equation. First, God is the source of every good thing. And second, only God can provide lasting joy—not happiness, but joy.

How can I say this? Because everything outside of God gets old and doesn’t last. Friends and family ultimately leave us. Money is hard to find but easy to lose. Relationships end. It doesn’t take a genius to observe and conclude that everything on earth is temporary.

Solomon, the presumed writer of Ecclesiastes, was once the richest, wisest, most powerful man on earth. To say that he didn’t deprive himself of pleasure would be an understatement. Each time he desired something, he bought it and enjoyed it. And he saw this gratification as his reward for his work. But at the end of the day, he was still unhappy.

That’s exactly what happens when the object of our joy is anything but God. If we seek to be happy outside of God, we will always fail. Why? Because God is the only one who can give us real joy.

11 “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”

Psalm 16:11

Real life is found in Christ alone; so is joy. When we seek Christ, not only do we find life, but also pure, inexpressible joy. It’s no wonder why millions of Christians courageously faced persecution and even death because their hearts were full of joy. This delight is not the mere presence of positive emotions and the absence of negative emotions. It is not the state of emotional well-being when good things happen. Rather, biblical joy is a lasting fruit that comes from God Himself. It results from trusting in a faithful God who fulfills His promises.

Conclusion

How do you share the Gospel with someone who doesn’t care?

• Wrestle in prayer.
• Communicate the Gospel that cares.
• Talk about real joy.

Pursue the Savior today!

Photo by David Zawila on Unsplash