My favorite word is joy.
It always has been.
I don’t know when I decided that was my favorite word.
I don’t know why it is my favorite word but it is.
If I have kids one day- one of their names will probably contain the name Joy.
That begins to tell you just how much I love the word.
Growing up, joy was simply a word that I just adored but two years ago that changed.
Two years ago, around this time, I went to a Chris Tomlin concert.
This man KNOWS joy.
I can’t really explain it.
He just simply opens his mouth and joy comes flooding out with each syllable that comes from his tongue.
He is happy. Yes.
He is excited. Yes.
He is hyper. Yes.
He enjoys putting on the concerts. No doubt.
But greater than each of those is his pure JOY.
From the very first MOMENT I saw him, before he even spoke, all I could think was JOY.
There was never a doubt in my mind that I was being slightly biased to my favorite word.
Nope.
This man was the greatest example of joy that I have EVER seen.
After that concert, joy became more than my favorite word but it became a goal to reach.
I am definitely still working on attaining that joy.
My guess it’s a lifelong process.
It’s a long road.
I sometimes fail at being joyful.
In fact, I OFTEN fail at being joyful.
But it is a place I am still striving to be in.
Last night, I went to another Tomlin concert.
I was so excited to see him.
But I was a little worried.
There was a great possibility that I had worked myself up into thinking he was so joyful.
Maybe it was just that one concert that I went to that he was so great.
Or maybe he wasn’t that great, maybe it was just me exaggerating.
Pft.
Doubting Chris Tomlin’s joy is a mistake.
The man walked out on stage and there was JOY in the whole stinkin’ Gibson Amphitheater in secular LA.
It was once again, just BEAUTIFUL.
He did not disappoint this year by ANY means at all.
He was fully consistent with his concert two years ago.
His constant joy means his source of joy is from one place and one place only.
Christ.
Undoubtedly.
It is our God who is
Unchanging
Unending
Constant.
Nothing of this world is stable.
Even a split second of stability cannot be guaranteed.
But our God, our God…
He IS joy.
Therefore He is the source of joy.
Tomlin’s joy is found in our Lord.
Praise God.
I can only begin to imagine the deep relationship Tomlin has with Christ.
His joy is truly like no other.
I could go on for days about his joy.
Not even kidding.
Seriously, if you eve have the chance go to one of Chris Tomlin’s concerts.
It is very much so well worth the money.
And then you won’t think me crazy for going on about this man’s joy!
How cool would it be to just be purely joyful?
I don’t think it’s easy.
In fact I know it’s not.
And it is a journey for sure.
But regardless of the time and work it will take to obtain joy, it will be beyond worth it.
I invite you to enter into the joy that Tomlin humbly boasts of.
Yup, humbly boasts.
He is completely humble
Yet, in his joy he is boasting of the greatness of his God.
OUR God.
Let us pray for the grace to obtain such joy in our joyful God.
You are my joy.
Help me to become joyful in You.
And You alone.
Joy in You will last forever.
Joy in the world is merely momentarily happiness.
Joy in you is forever.
Help me gain forever.
And with joy.
YOU ARE MY JOY.
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