Joy is Important for a Christlike Life

Rejoice that your names are written in heaven. (Luke 10:20 ESV)

While Jesus only specifically mentioned His joy twice in the Gospels, joy permeated the events of His life and His teaching. We also find mentions and examples of joy throughout the New and Old Testaments. There are seven Greek words used in the New Testament which refer to joy, gladness, and rejoicing. These words are used 72 times in the Gospels and 101 times in the rest of the New Testament.

We’re told that God’s kingdom is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit, and that if we serve Him in these things, we are acceptable to God. Joy is also listed right after love as a fruit of the Spirit. Clearly joy is important for a Christlike life.

As Christians we can have that settled state of mind, that confident way of looking at life, and the keen awareness of and trust in the sovereign God, all of which make up joy. What is the basis for that joy? It is rooted in our salvation—that our names are written in heaven. We have joy, we rejoice, because we have the hope of an eternal inheritance.

We can have joy because we take the long-range view, knowing that whatever hardships or setbacks we experience in this life, we will live with God forever. —Peter Amsterdam [1]

Joy is fundamentally an attitude toward life that views and accepts the world with equanimity, a confident way of looking at life that is rooted deep in faith, in a keen awareness of and trust in the sovereign God who has revealed himself in Jesus Christ and his death and resurrection. —R. P. Martin

[1] Anchor The Joy of the Lord—Our Hope and Strength