How do we find our strength in the joy of Christmas?
As the days grow colder and the year draws to a close, we find ourselves immersed in the festive atmosphere of Advent, celebrating with anticipation and excitement the birth of our Messiah. This is a time when our hearts turn toward themes like hope, peace, love, and perhaps most essentially, joy!
For many of us, some of our best childhood memories are connected to Christmas time, filled with the anticipation of family gatherings, grandparents, and gifts. However, the Advent season can also highlight difficulties, bringing into sharp focus broken families or the pain of missing loved ones. When we talk about joy, it often feels like an ideal that is out of reach.
But the Bible reminds us that joy is more than a fleeting emotion or temporary happiness. Joy, in the context of our faith, is not circumstantial; it is eternal. It comes directly from the Presence of the Lord, as the Bible says that in His Presence is the fullness of joy (Ps 16:11). When we embrace this truth, we understand that joy is available to every individual, regardless of the challenging circumstances they currently face.
The fundamental concept we celebrate during this season is that the joy of the Lord is our strength (Neh 8:10). Joy is an emotion acquired by the anticipation, acquisition, or expectation of something great yet to come. We find our joy by looking back at the marvelous gift God gave us when He first sent Jesus and by looking forward with expectation to the day He will come again. Even in dry or weary places, we are assured that the joy of the Lord strengthens us.
To help us embrace this profound strength, the Scriptures offer a prescription for entering into joy, drawn from the story of Nehemiah. More specifically, in Nehemiah 8:10, we read, “Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” This plan provides practical steps for making joy our default setting, rather than living in the default of grief or fear:
“Go your way”: We must choose to leave the pain and fear of the past behind. This requires a conscious decision not to allow past trauma to cripple our anticipation of good things in the future.
“Eat the fat”: This means intentionally remembering the goodness of God. It takes intentionality to recall the best parts of your life and the times God has met you.
“Drink the sweet wine”: Find a way to laugh. Laughter is like medicine for the heart, and sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do in a hard season is simply to find humor.
“Send portions to others”: Help someone else find joy. What you help others do, God will help you do. Jesus came to bear our burdens so we could experience joy, and we fulfill the law of Christ by sharing that joy with others, perhaps just by reaching out with a simple phone call or text.
As the hope of all creation and the story of redemption started in a manger, seek this eternal strength. Joy is available to you if you choose it.
