(An original devotional I wrote for this Christmas season, December 2025.)
True Joy at Christmas: More Than a Feeling
As Christmas approaches each year, the word joy seems to echo everywhere—on cards, in songs, and across glowing screens. Yet for many people, joy can feel elusive. The season can bring pressure, busyness, and even loneliness. In the middle of all this, the Christian message of Christmas invites us to rediscover what true joy really means.
Biblical joy is not the same as temporary happiness. Happiness often depends on circumstances: good news, full calendars, or perfectly wrapped gifts. Joy, in contrast, runs deeper. Scripture shows us that joy is rooted not in what we have or how we feel, but in who God is and what He has done.
The angel’s announcement to the shepherds captures this truth beautifully: “I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people” (Luke 2:10). The joy of Christmas is not tied to wealth, comfort, or success. It is “for all people” because it comes from God’s decision to enter the world in humility, as a child.
True joy begins with the incarnation—God with us. At Christmas, we celebrate that God stepped into human weakness, darkness, and brokenness, not to condemn the world but to save it. This is joy that does not ignore pain but meets it with hope. Even in hardship, Christians can rejoice because God is present and faithful.
This joy also brings peace. Knowing that we are loved, forgiven, and not alone changes how we face life. The baby in the manger would grow to carry the weight of the world’s sin, offering grace instead of judgment. Christmas joy flows from this promise of redemption—a reminder that God is still at work, even when we cannot see it.
Finally, true joy is meant to be shared. The shepherds, after seeing Jesus, went out and told others what they had witnessed. Joy naturally overflows into generosity, kindness, and worship. When we focus less on perfect celebrations and more on Christ’s presence, our joy becomes a light to others.
This Christmas, may we pause amid the noise and remember that true joy is not something we manufacture. It is a gift—quiet, steady, and life-giving—found in Jesus Christ. Long after the decorations come down, this joy remains, because it is grounded in God’s unchanging love.
#truejoy #joy #christmas #kindness #reasonfortheseason
Lemon and Rosemary 