Joy Makers?

One day an ad from one of my favorite stores showed up in my email inbox. Splashed across the top in big letters was the phrase “JOY MAKERS.” Of course, the ad was pointing shoppers to deals on toys, electronics, appliances, and cozy styles. Our Generation dolls, child-size John Deere electric tractors, smart TVs, Fujifilm Polaroid-style cameras, fleece jammies, and blanket scarves—apparently this is the stuff joy is made of. The message was loud and clear: joy comes from having stuff. The pictures looked promising, but we all know better. Honestly, I love giving and receiving gifts.

It’s one of my top love languages. I love finding just the right gift for that wow factor or to make someone feel deeply loved. That Christmas I paid attention during all the gift-getting and unwrapping. As my daughters, nieces, and nephews tore through piles of presents, there was excitement. There was laughter and merriment, but it only lasted for a time. Even though I love gifts, I’ve realized through the years that no gift brings true lasting joy.

Our culture too often confuses joy with happiness. Joy is more nuanced than happiness. Joy emanates out of God’s unconditional and fierce love for us, while happiness can be fickle and fleeting, like a quickly forgotten Christmas present. In other words, joy is a state of being rather than an emotion.