What do you think of when I mention joy? Is it the thrilling victory of your favorite sports team? Perhaps it is a beautiful sunset or a new puppy?
A dictionary definition of joy is “a feeling of great pleasure and happiness”. Tim Keller tells us that joy is a deep sense of gladness that is not dependent on circumstances.
We may think that the opposite of joy is sadness. For example, I can be sad when my favorite team loses an important game, or when someone I love is suffering. Keller however says that the opposite of joy is not sadness, but hopelessness.
The word joy appears often in the Bible. For example, joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit, as we read in Galatians 5:22-23:
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Continue reading →