According to J.I. Packer, one greeting used among many inhabitants of Great Britain is “any joy?” 
I like that greeting and I wished we used it.

So what about joy? What is joy?

Let me give you a definition that may be a bit ponderous but think through it. Joy is a deep, durable, often inexpressible delight (1 Peter 1:8). In the splendor/glory of the triune God that occurs as we continually enter into the mystery of the crosswork of Christ. It is that which captivates our attention and compels us to be his people (1 Peter 2:9-10).  In Philippians 3:1, Paul tells the church at Philippi, “Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord! It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you.”  In commenting on this verse, Calvin writes, “The phrase, henceforward (finally- NIV) denotes a continued course, that, in the midst of many hindrances, they may not cease to exercise holy joy.” The concept of a “continued course” or a pursuit or a constant endeavor caused me to think much about the pursuit of joy.

So my conclusion, after studying and thinking through the biblical parameters, is that joy happens as we intentionally seek to live in the shadow of the cross.

Therefore, joy usually just does not fall upon us. It is a pursuit. Flannery O’Connor writes regarding joy, “Picture me with my ground teeth stalking joy, fully armed, too, as it’s a highly dangerous quest.” So joy is not the result of sitting on a beach and saying the same word repeatedly and repeating the same mantra ad infinitum. Joy comes as we sit on the same beach or a Starbucks or wherever and ponder the wonder of God becoming a man and burying my sin in his body as I think through scriptural texts. Joy comes as I progressively enter into the wonder of the cross.

In 1 Corinthians 1:24, Paul writes, “but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.” So how do we work for the joy of others? By remembering, “it is by faith you stand firm”.  Not faith in my faith but faith in the finished work of Christ upon the cross as my substitute and now, the resurrected and ascended King. Joy in the reality of Christ brings stability, wonder, brokenness, laughter, and singing. To quote from my favorite hymn written by Charles Wesley:

Died he for me who causes pain
For me who him for death pursued
Amazing love, how can it be
That thou, my God, would die for me?

So stalk joy with gritty determination as you run to the cross. Preach the gospel to yourself daily. Let the eternal plan of the ages; the mystery fully unveiled: Christ and Him crucified, be the epicenter of your existence. Rejoice in the Lord is a safeguard for the Christ follower.

“Any joy?”