John 15:11, 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 What is Joy?

These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full. (John 15:11 NASB)

That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever. (2 Corinthians 4:16-18 NLT)

Observation

What is joy? I heard one Pastor call joy, spiritual buoyancy. We are unsinkable, just like Rocky Balboa we get back up. That buoyancy comes from our focus on the unchanging privileges we have in God. Many people believe that joy is happiness and it's opposite is sadness. But that is not true, joy is not an emotion. We can be sad and still be joyful at the same time. Joy is a deep kind of rejoicing, a security, a deep belief that "I've got the only thing that really matters." Criticism may make us feel bad, but we fall back on something deeper. The opposite of joy is hopelessness. Look at 2 Corinthians 4:16-18. Why should we have joy and have it full? Because our story doesn't end here. Our best days on Earth is just an appetizer for what is to come in heaven. 

Application

I will for certain lose joy when my eyes rest on the gift and not the Giver, when I focus on the challenge and not the Champion.  Everything around me, however, beckons me to focus on the other. I have to continually talk to and point God's promises out to myself. Somedays God's promises are evident and confidence in them seems natural. Other days, well not so much. Here is what I know though, the number of days that I stand confidently and rest in the Giver and not the gift, is growing. That is why I never give up, He is my hope.

Prayer

Father, all good gifts come from You. Thank You for giving me an unspeakable joy. Your promises are sure and I'm so grateful for how they hold on to me.