As the Christmas season fills the air and we prepare to step into a new year, many of us reflect on the joys and sorrows of the past year or even lifetime. For some, this season brings warm memories, but for others, it stirs pain and regret. The holidays often lead us to ask: What is true joy, and where can it be found?
The Apostle Paul offers us a profound answer in Philippians 3:13-14:
Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
Paul reminds us that true joy is found not in the fleeting pleasures of this world but in pressing forward toward the hope and salvation we have in Christ. Christmas is the perfect time to pause, embrace, and then share this eternal truth: Christ came into the world not to offer temporary happiness, but to bring us everlasting joy through salvation.
The biblical definition of joy
In a culture that often equates joy with material success, comfort, or personal achievements, the Bible provides a very different definition. Biblical joy is rooted in our relationship with God, not in our circumstances. As Psalm 16:11 declares, “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”
Christmas is a celebration of God’s presence among us—Emmanuel, “God with us.” The birth of Jesus is the ultimate declaration that true joy comes from God’s grace and salvation. As Luke 2:10 proclaims, the angel’s message to the shepherds was one of “good news of great joy that will be for all the people.” That joy is not just for Christmas Day; it is for every moment of our lives as we abide in Christ.
Moving forward in Christ
Paul’s words in Philippians encourage us to “forget what is behind”—to release the baggage of sin, guilt, and regret that so often holds us captive. Perhaps the past year has been marked by failures, broken relationships, or unfulfilled dreams. Yet, through Christ’s redeeming work on the cross, we are set free from sin and guilt and even regret to move forward in hope and joy. There is nothing the blood of Christ cannot cleanse and wash white as snow.
Isaiah 43:18-19 echoes this invitation to let go of the past. “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”
This new thing is fully realized in Christ, who has made a way for us to be reconciled to God. The Christmas season reminds us that Jesus came to usher in this new creation, offering us abundant life in Him. We are called as Christians to celebrate and live in that truth, rather than feelings that come and go.
Pressing on toward the prize
As we enter a new year, Paul’s exhortation to “press on toward the goal” challenges us to live with an eternal perspective. The “prize” he speaks of is the joy of eternal life with Christ, a true joy that far surpasses anything this world can offer.
This eternal focus transforms how we live in the present. When our joy is rooted in Christ, we can face trials with hope, as James 1:2-3 encourages: “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.”
The call to joy this Christmas
As we celebrate the birth of Christ, let us remember that joy is not something we manufacture through gifts, traditions, or fleeting pleasures. Those things can be and often are enjoyable, but are not the source of real joy. True joy is a gift from God, secured through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This joy is unshakable because it is grounded in the unchanging truth of God’s Word.
Let this Christmas and new year be a season of surrendering the past, embracing the present, and pressing forward in faith. As we fix our eyes on Christ, we can experience the fullness of joy that comes from knowing and following Him.
May we echo the words of Nehemiah 8:10, “The joy of the Lord is your strength,” as we step boldly forward into the year ahead, leaving behind the past, trusting in the hope and joy that only salvation in Christ can bring.
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