When I almost started a fire in my kitchen by leaving my oven mitt on the stove, I had to laugh. I’m not a great cook and I can be forgetful so I’m just glad I caught it when I did.

But staring at the word “JOY” all scorched like that gave me a realization.

Joy Isn’t Always Pretty

We often think of joy as a beautiful and serene moment. But I think this is a much better picture of it:

Joy isn’t the same as happiness.
Happiness depends on circumstances, but joy is rooted in faith.
True joy is unwavering because its source is Jesus—not external factors.

When you are emotionally rooted in Jesus, then your source of joy does not change with your circumstances. I thought of the most joyful people I know and they’ve all been THROUGH it. No one escapes this life unscathed, but real JOY is possible. It just has grit to it.

Joy and Struggle Can Coexist

Joy may be my God given name, but it has never come easily to me. I’ve joked that it was a strange choice for God to name me “Joy” when I struggle with depression. But the more I learn about true joy, the more I see it’s not separate from struggle but often present right in the midst of it.

I can still have joy even as I wrestle with anxiety and depression. Honestly, it’s been a particularly challenging season lately. The enemy seems to be throwing punches and before I can recover from one, another hits. Feels like I am surviving with the music on WayFM carrying me to Jesus most days. But God can even use an almost disaster in my kitchen to remind me that joy is possible even in THIS.

Joy That Has Been Through the Fire

Real joy has been through the fires of life like my oven mitt. It may be singed but it’s solid.

Mel Walker from Christianity.com said:

“Biblical joy is choosing to respond to external circumstances with inner contentment and satisfaction because we know that God will use these experiences to accomplish His work in and through our lives.”

It’s a wildly brave choice. So if you see smoke all around you and parts of your life feel on fire, I hope you remember my oven mitt and pray for the joy of the Lord to be your strength. It’s a choice we can make every day. – Joy