What does the joy of the Lord look like? I've come across some people who seem to think that it's a permanent smiley face. We're not allowed to frown, we're not allowed to cry and we're not allowed to be angry. We must be happy, cheerful and overflowing with affection all day every day.

I don't know about you, but I find these people extremely annoying. I think Jesus would too. He cried, he frowned and he even got angry. Does this mean that he did not have joy? I'm thinking that if joy is something God asks of us, Jesus displayed it perfectly. I believe he displayed it every day. What then was the source of this joy?

The perfect Sunday school answer to this would be "God". We could leave it at that and move on but I believe it is important to understand, not just to know. Yes, the source of his joy was his Father in heaven but there is more to it than that. Do you think that when he was tired and hungry and thirsty and hot and sweaty while he was in the desert for forty days he was thinking "I have joy because I have a father in heaven." That doesn't change the fact that he's tired and hungry and thirsty and hot and sweaty. I don't think Jesus was one to trivialize physical suffering. I don't think he just said to himself "Suck it up man. Stop being such a baby. It's just flesh." He felt pain and hunger just as clearly as we can. What, then, gave him joy during his times of suffering?

Jesus knew that everything he did was a part of his Father's purpose. That is the answer right there. It is purpose that gives us joy. If we are in line with God's will for our lives, joy can be found. If we have stepped away from his will and are miserable because of it, there is nothing we can do to find joy. Suffering without purpose is no pros and all cons. To find joy, we must first find purpose. I cannot tell you what that is because God's purpose for every one of his children is different. The only thing I can tell you to do is to find out what that purpose is. Start by asking. God will tell you. If you don't know what to listen for, spend some time getting to know God. The rest will follow.

Once we are walking in the purpose God has laid out for us, joy follows. It is not something we have to strive for. It is the result of God's purpose. If the joy is gone, it's time to find that purpose again and walk according to it.