The Mirror of the Word and other works by C.E. White can be purchased on her website, cewhitebooks.com or on Amazon.

“Serve the Lord with jubilation; come before him with rejoicing.”

—Psalm 100:2

Joy is all over the Bible. “Delight yourself in the Lord” (Psalm 37:4). “Rejoice in the Lord always” (Philippians 4:4). “Be . . . rejoicing in hope” (Romans 12:10–12). These are just a few of the verses imploring us to be joyful.

Joy is also listed second, right after love, in the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22–23).

It’s clearly meant to be a distinguishing mark of our Christian walk.

So why do so many of us live in guilt, fear, bitterness, anger, and overwhelm instead?

My own lack of joy is usually a symptom of focusing on things other than Jesus. Perhaps I’ve begun placing my hope in my own goodness or success, some pleasure the world offers, some achievement I hope to attain, or some other person.

When our joy becomes dependent upon things other than Jesus, our faith becomes weak, for the joy of the Lord is our refuge (Nehemiah 8:10). That word “refuge” also means our fortress, our rock, and our strength.

So what’s the solution?

“Let’s rid ourselves of every obstacle and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let’s run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking only at Jesus, the originator and perfecter of the faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:1–2).

What is the obstacle, sin, or distraction that is stealing our joy? And what are we looking at to provide that joy?

Let’s set all of that aside, turn our gaze only to Jesus’s example instead, and endure for the eternal joy set before us.

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