God-centered Living

(This reflection is one of the short chapters from a larger project I’m writing on the multifaceted beauty of the Gospel, which happens to contain a chapter on each of the four Advent themes. Each week of Advent, I’m sharing a different “facet” of the good news through the themes of Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love.)

   The Source

God is the fountain of all true joy. God is eternally glad in himself. Within the Trinity, the Father delights in the Son, the Son rejoices in the Father, and the Spirit shares forever in this love and joy. The God who is perfectly joyful created the world and fashioned mankind as the pinnacle of his creation. We were made to rejoice in him as his image-bearers and enter into the vibrant joy which has always been pulsing through the Godhead. God has also woven this joy into the very fabric of creation, designing a myriad of ways to experience it, all of which are meant to enrich and diversify our relationship with him. Our only real and lasting joy is found in God alone. “In your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:11).

   The Loss

But sin abandons true joy. We were not content with God’s perfect joy but foolishly sought joy apart from him. By turning from God, we cut ourselves off from the fountain of gladness and plunged ourselves into sorrow and hopelessness. Sin promises lasting joy but in reality only steals it. Instead of lasting joy, we experience restlessness, guilt, despair, and the aching sense that nothing in this world can fully satisfy. As Jeremiah 2:13 puts it, we have forsaken the fountain of living waters and dug broken cisterns that hold no water.

   The Futile Response

Sensing the ache of lost joy, we chase substitutes. We are desperate in search of anything that might lift our spirits, if even just for a moment. Some look for joy in pleasure: entertainment, food, sex, or experiences. Others look for it in achievement: success, recognition, possessions. Still others numb themselves through distraction or addiction. But none of these cisterns can hold lasting joy. They may sparkle for a moment, but they quickly run dry and always leave us more desperate than before. We as humans have developed ever-increasing access to the very things that promise joy, while being confronted with the cold reality that this increased access only breeds more sorrow and discontent—apart from God. We binge more and feel less.

   The Consequence

The ultimate consequence of sin is not merely lack of joy now but eternal sorrow in Hell, apart from God. Hell is described as a place of weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matt. 13:42). It is an existence completely devoid of joy, without hope, cut off forever from the presence of the God of gladness. Left to ourselves, this is what we deserve: eternal grief.

   The Substitution

But God, rich in mercy, sent his Son to bear our sorrow. Isaiah 53:3 calls Jesus “a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief.” Yet Scripture also tells us that “for the joy that was set before him he endured the cross” (Heb. 12:2). He stepped into our sorrow completely, yet all the while he remained perfectly joyful in the will and purpose of his Father—embodying the paradox Scripture describes as being ‘sorrowful, yet always rejoicing’ (2 Cor. 6:10). On the cross, he took upon himself the utter grief and despair of our sin, carrying it in our place and paying its penalty in full. He cried out in abandonment, entering into the deepest darkness (Matt. 27:45-46), so that we could be restored to true joy through faith in him.

   The Resurrection

On the third day, Jesus rose again, and his resurrection decisively turned sorrow into gladness. As he told his disciples, “You will weep and lament… but your sorrow will turn into joy” (John 16:20). The risen Christ is the proof that joy has triumphed over sin, despair, and death. His resurrection is the dawn of eternal gladness, for all who put their trust in him.

   The Transformation

When we believe the Gospel, true joy begins to be restored. The Holy Spirit produces joy as one of his fruits (Gal. 5:22). We taste gladness now by knowing that our sins are forgiven, our shame is covered, and we are reconciled to God. Knowing that God is now for us and not against us is a source of never-ending joy. But even more than that, the Gospel redeems our experience of joy itself. Created joys—meals, friendships, laughter, beauty, rest—are no longer rivals to God but reminders of him. They become windows into heaven and pathways back to joy in God, not distractions from him. As we continually renew our minds with the truth of the Gospel, every joy we experience in life is renewed to its rightful purpose. Even in trials, we can rejoice, because suffering produces hope, and hope does not disappoint (Rom. 5:3–5). Joy is no longer tied to our circumstances but to Christ himself, and we know that nothing can truly steal the joy we have in him.

   The Consummation

One day, Christ will return, and our joy will be complete. Revelation 21 describes a world with no more tears, sorrow, or pain. In God’s presence, joy will overflow, never to be diminished again. As Jesus promised, “Your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you” (John 16:22). Eternity will be the everlasting feast of joy with God.

   The Call

The Gospel is the Good News of great joy for all people (Luke 2:10), and it is entirely too good to be ignored. It demands a response. “How shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation?” (Heb. 2:3). Are you still struggling in sorrow and hopelessness, chasing fleeting pleasures and settling for false joys? Or are you turning to Christ and receiving fullness of joy in him? Come, rest in him alone to save you. Drink from the fountain of gladness and let your heart be satisfied in him.

   The Application

The Good News of joy rejuvenates how we live today:

• When life feels empty: Remember that lasting joy is only found in Christ, not in circumstances.
• When sorrow presses in: Recall that Christ bore your grief and promises that one day sorrow will be no more.
• When you’re tempted to chase joy elsewhere: Preach to yourself that no idol can deliver what Jesus alone provides.

Reflection Questions

1. Where do you most feel sorrow or emptiness in your life?

2. What “false joys” are you tempted to chase?
3. How would it change your day if you remembered that your joy is secure in Christ?

In Christ, my sorrow is turned into gladness, and I share in God’s eternal joy.