I came across a message that described joy as conviction rather than a feeling. This idea of the word, one that can be a potent player in our life if our perspective is in the right place, caught my attention. We often wait for experiences that fill us with joy, something that fills us with a joyous feeling.
The holidays can be a time full of joy or they can be a time that reminds us of the deep sadness or grief we feel for ones who are missing, leaving our hearts heavy—far from the lightness that joy leaves us experiencing.
If your heart is at all heavy as mine tends to be at times right now, aim to redefine your definition of Joy this Christmas, looking to the One who can fill us with joy in the darkest of times. Joy comes not out of having a joyous feeling but from the satisfaction in God no matter what we may feel.
The Northern Hemisphere just experienced the Winter Solstice yesterday, marking the longest period of darkness all year. It is no accident that Christmas is around this time of year; the world is experiencing more darkness than light.
God knew we would need a beauitful reminder of what Jesus Christ symbolizes when the world around us is dark and we have little light to surround us. Christ represents the pure joy he fills our hearts with at a time when it seems impossible to find light.
Christmas ignites this season with the light that is missing in the sky. The holiday season pushes us to find joy in the darkness, to remember the reason for the season. We are challenged to seek joy amisdt the sadness that lingers in our hearts.
This conviction of joy that Christ represents comes from the satisfaction in God no matter what. Not from our circumstances but from the truth Christ came to reveal to us: that within each of us is a truth, the very truth that Christ exemplified on earth.
Jesus represents a light that shines constantly even at the darkest hour when all hope seems lost. Contentment comes when we accept this truth and its innermost dwelling in our heart.
If we search for contentment outside of this truth by looking at our circumstances, we'll always find reasons to be less than joyful. There is no joy in losing a loved one or spending your first christmas without them. There is no joy in spending a Christmas without your family by your side.
Whatever circumstance you find yourself in this Christmas, know there is joy in love, God's love; Jesus came to reveal the unconditional love that is possible if we accept it as our truth. This love is bigger than death or sadness or emptiness. It crosses boundaries and defies time.
When you fill yourself with this truth, you come closer to finding the love that is enough to fill any gap or soothe any sadness you may feel.
The further I get in touch with this love and lose ego's illusion of separation, the closer I feel her presence in my heart. God's love has the ability to fill your heart this Christmas. When you rest in this knowing, it is possible to find that sense of joy because my joy comes from within through God.
Nothing can steal the satisfaction that God gives us; nothing can steal our joy.
The true meaning of Christmas is that the very Being that you are is the Truth. This is what Jesus meant when he said, “I am the way and the truth and the life.
-Eckhart Tolle
My wish for you this holiday season is that you be full of Joy in Christ—not in circumstances, or holes in your heart or missing presents under the tree. When you find joy and contentment in Christ, nothing can steal your sense of satisfaction.
God gave us Jesus to remind us of the light we have in each of us, a light that can be accessed and shone onto others even during the darkest time of year or saddest of circumstances.
We are called to think of others at this time of year. This is the way of Jesus: to serve with an unconditional heart. The quickest way to ignite your inner light is to brighten someone else's.