Joy is not only produced by seeking God's glory through the gospel, but it is also built to last and grow. When life is no longer about you, when life is not about you, you no longer seeking your own glory. When life is about you, other people are roadblocks to you, because you inherently believe that others are there for your ultimate happiness. When circumstances fail to go your way, when others let you down, when something gets in the way of your happiness, anger, frustration, and bitterness follow. Even when things go your way, happiness tends to be fleeting, there for a moment and gone the next, even when you get the girl, promotion, house, car, or recognition. Its never enough. But joy in Christ can only grow, knowing that no matter what, God is with us, He is glorifying Himself, and even through our suffering, His ways and plans cannot be stopped. Happiness is a cheap alternative to joy since joy is not stopped by circumstances. So we no longer view life through a selfish lens with our own happiness as the greatest treasure, but we see Christ as our biggest treasure, and view all of life as an opportunity to make much of Him. Salvation frees us to make much of Him.
The preceeding is excerpted and adapted from a sermon by Pastor Jordan, called "Gospel Clarity Part 1." You can listen to the whole sermon or read the text here.
