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Joy to the World! Go Boldly with Joy!

The Spectacular and Holy Power of Joy: A Foundation for Flourishing, Strength, and Sustainable Service

There is a spectacular and holy power in joy! As a second-year PhD student, I am being shaped by rigorous academic study and spiritual seeking, which have impressed upon me an integrative truth: joy is not merely an emotion. Joy is a psychological strength, a theological resource, and a way of living that anchors us in suffering, guiding us in compassionate action, and catapults our dreams soaring to the Heavens.

The biblical injunction, "Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength" (Nehemiah 8:10), offers a prophetic word for every human heart wrestling with life's tribulations. Joy is strength from God. The Hebrew term, "koach," means strength, vigor, power, and capacity. Joy is the sustaining power enabling us to persevere, rebuild, and worship. Isaac Watts' anthem "Joy to the World" invites us into a life philosophy animated by divine delight. Joy does not deny the existence of grief or sadness; rather, it is a profound reorientation and a soul-level trust that God's purposes remain good.

Joy: The Empirical Engine for Resilience and Strength

Joy reframes resilience from mere survival to flourishing under God's providence. It inspires life with hope, clarifies purpose, and creates the conditions for intentional action. Scholarly research in positive psychology affirms this divine wisdom. Joy alters our capacity for strength and achievement, a concept captured in the "broaden-and-build" theory (Fredrickson, 2004). Joy, as a positive emotion, broadens our attention, thought-action repertoires, and cognitive flexibility (Fredrickson, 2001).
Joy translates directly to our professional lives:

  • Cultivating Resilience and Hope: By broadening our resources, joy accelerates our emotional recovery after setbacks (Fredrickson & Joiner, 2002; Lyubomirsky et al., 2005). Joy enables us to maintain the hope that God indeed has plans to prosper us and give us a future (Jeremiah 29:11).
  • Boosting Confidence and Creativity: Joy increases intrinsic motivation and self-efficacy (Amabile, 1996; Lyubomirsky et al., 2005). It enhances creative problem-solving by increasing cognitive flexibility and divergent thinking (Isen et al., 1987), giving us the confident mindset to tackle complex challenges (Philippians 4:13). Joy is not merely an affective state; it is also epistemic and vocational, in terms of being a calling or a purpose-driven approach.

Joy: The Foundation for Sustainable Service and Community

The healthiest love for others grows out of a secure love from God toward ourselves. When we experience the joy of the Lord, we are relieved from self-neglect and insecurity.

  • Self-Care as Stewardship: Joy combined with self-esteem foster healthy self-care. Self-care is essential for caring for ourselves because we are instruments of service. Self-care becomes an act of stewardship rather than an escape, preparing us to love others with greater depth, patience, and endurance. "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want." Joy in God brings restoration and wholeness (Psalm 23, Psalm 30:11-12).
  • Empowering Leadership and Community: Joy increases Emotional Intelligence (EI) (Goleman, 1995) by fueling empathy. A leader who exhibits the joy of the Lord cultivates teams that are resilient, creative, and trustworthy. Joy increases our sociability and approach behavior (Reis & Gable, 2003), making us more approachable, effective, and empowering (Matthew 20:26-28).
  • Resilient Communities: Joy is expressed in small acts of kindness, which cultivate social trust and build resilient communities that can withstand crises. Sharing joyful, positive experiences creates moments of capitalization and gratitude that deepen connections and strengthen social ties (Algoe et al., 2010).

A Bold Call to Rejoice! Joy to the World! 

Joy and hope are siblings. Hope is the forward-looking expectation of God's future work, and joy is the taste of goodness. Both counteract despair and create vision. "Joy of the Lord is our strength!" Joy is a competitive edge, a spiritual resource, and our confidence in faith. Cultivating joy broadens our perspectives, enhances resilience, and deepens community bonds.

Be bold. Be confident. Be joyful. Let the joy of the Lord be the foundation upon which we lead, design, counsel, and serve. Joy to the World! 

AUTHOR
Kimberly JOI McDonald
PhD in Global Leadership and Change student