SCRIPTURE
LUKE 2:10-12

But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

For so many of us, Christmas is a time of incredible happiness. It's a time for family, for gifts, for food; it's a season of light in the midst of darkness, a time of celebration in the midst of the cold. Many of us, perhaps even most of us, have innumerable reasons for happiness in the Christmas season.

But this happiness is not universal. There are many others whose thoughts will be dominated this Christmas not by those seated around the table but by the chairs that are empty chairs--those to whom we've had to say goodbye and those we never got to meet. There will be those whose trees are not surrounded by gifts; those who struggle to keep the house warm through the long, dark nights. Some will struggle with their mental health around this special season or with the mental health of those they love. There are many, many reasons why people may not know the happiness that is expected around Christmas. That's why it is so important for us to realise that happiness and joy are not the same thing.

Happiness depends upon happenings. When life is good, when our circumstances are favorable, when our situations are positive, we know happiness. We're happy because we're not facing struggles or trials; we're happy because the road is smooth and the seas calm. But when storms come, when the path is hard, when we're facing the giants of life, it is only natural for us to lose that sense of happiness.

If we're lonely this Christmas, we don't need to feel strange that we're not euphoric with happiness. If we're grieving the loss of a loved one; if we're facing challenges in our finances or our health; if we're not sure what the new year will bring, or if we're regretting the decisions we've made throughout the past year, then it's only natural that this happiness is absent. And that's okay--because joy is far richer than simple happiness.

Joy comes from a spring far deeper than situations and circumstances. True joy is rooted in something outside ourselves and beyond the challenges and trials of life. The joy that can only come through our life in God and his life in us—the joy that is freely offered because of all that Christ has done and given—is available to us all.

The angel didn't proclaim a message of happiness or promise an easier life. He didn't assure the shepherds of an end to Roman oppression or a newfound respect from their neighbours. The angel didn't promise that they'd be happy. The angel promised joy, and he assured them that it was for all people, everywhere and everywhen. He assured them that this deeply rooted and foundational joy was being poured out lavishly from the heart of God and that it was all because of the baby being born in Bethlehem. It had nothing to do with happiness or happenings. It wasn't because things were getting easier or because the shepherds had developed a more positive outlook on life. It was because of who God is and what God had done.

Our joy can be solid as a rock this Christmas, regardless of where we and ourselves and what we're facing--not because of situations or circumstances but because Christ is born in Bethlehem, and he brings his people joy.

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION OR DISCUSSION

What is the difference between happiness and joy as you understand it?

When or how have you found joy in situations that are, by all accounts, unhappy situations?

PRAYER

Write a prayer asking God to help you understand joy in a deeper way, and perhaps even to be a bringer of joy to others during unhappy circumstances.