The Joy You Were Made For

Read

John 15:11 "I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete."

Think

What comes to mind when you hear the word “joy”? Maybe it’s the laugh of your child, the feeling of crossing a finish line, or the perfect song playing during a long drive with the windows down. Joy is one of those things that can sneak up on you and fill your heart without warning. But it can also feel elusive. Fleeting. Like a spark that quickly fades in the wind.

Jesus, however, says something entirely different. He offers a joy that is not circumstantial or temporary. A joy that is deep, durable, and complete. And he ties that joy not just to the here-and-now, but to eternity. In John 15:11, Jesus says, “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.” He is speaking these words shortly before the cross. The setting isn’t peaceful. It’s intense, emotional, and heavy with sorrow. And yet, he is talking about joy.

Jesus doesn’t just promise us a taste of joy. He offers us his joy. Think about that. Not a cheap copy. Not an artificial sweetener. His very own joy. And he says that when we live in him, when we follow his words and abide in his love, that joy will be made complete in us. That word “complete” means full, lacking nothing, unshaken.

In our culture, joy is often confused with entertainment or happiness. We chase moments that will make us feel good for a while—a vacation, a relationship, a job promotion, a shopping spree—but then we wake up and the ache returns. Joy tied to circumstances will always leave us searching for more.

But the joy Jesus offers is rooted in the eternal. It’s why heaven is described not as a sterile place of rules and rituals, but as a place overflowing with joy. The psalmist says in God’s presence there is “fullness of joy” and “pleasures forevermore.” That word fullness is important. It’s the idea of saturation. Think of a sponge completely soaked with water, or a glass filled to the brim and running over. That’s the kind of joy heaven is filled with.

Have you ever been in a room where joy was so contagious, it changed the atmosphere? A wedding reception where people were dancing with abandon? A moment of worship where people forgot about themselves and got caught up in something bigger? Heaven is like that—except it never ends. No one is faking it. No one is pretending. It’s pure, honest, radiant joy that flows from the presence of God.

The best part is, we don’t have to wait until we die to experience that joy. Jesus says he wants his joy in us now. And that joy is a foretaste of what’s to come. C.S. Lewis once called it “the scent of a flower we have not yet found, the echo of a tune we have not yet heard.” In other words, joy points us home. It awakens a longing for a place we were made for.

It’s like when you get a text from a friend who says, “Dinner’s ready,” and you can already smell what’s cooking before you even pull into the driveway. That’s what true joy does—it stirs anticipation. Not escapism. Not denial. But a holy hunger. And the reason Jesus can speak about joy on the night before his crucifixion is because he knows the joy that’s coming. He is looking beyond the suffering, beyond the tomb, beyond the sting of death, to a resurrection joy that will never fade.

Hebrews says that for the joy set before him, Jesus endured the cross. That means joy wasn’t a side thought. It was the driving force. And now, because of that joy, you and I can look at our own pain through a different lens. We can grieve, yes. But not as those without hope. We can walk through trials, but not without purpose. Because joy is not the absence of sorrow. It’s the presence of Jesus.

Have you noticed how joy shines brightest in people who suffer well? They’re not immune to sadness. But they carry something deeper. You hear it in their voice, see it in their eyes, feel it in the way they love. It’s not denial. It’s anchored joy. The kind that has been tested and proven real.

Jesus wants you to have that kind of joy. A joy that won’t crumble under pressure. A joy that isn’t dependent on your performance. A joy that knows that even when the world says you’re losing, you’re actually being led to something better. Eternal joy doesn’t cancel out present pain, but it changes how we walk through it.

And here’s something else to consider: you were made for joy. Not for cynicism. Not for numbness. Not for just making it through the day. God has wired your heart for joy, because he’s preparing you for eternity in his presence. So when you laugh with friends, when you watch the sunset, when you sing in your car, when something inside you says, “Yes, this is good”—don’t brush it off. Let it point you to the Source. Let it stir gratitude. Let it fuel your hope.

Joy is not naive. It is defiant. It looks darkness in the face and says, “You don’t get the final word.” It holds on when everything else says let go. It sings at midnight. It hopes at gravesides. It trusts that heaven is real, and it’s worth everything. Don’t settle for partial joy. Jesus died and rose again so yours could be complete.

Apply

When you notice a moment of real joy today—laughter, gratitude, beauty, connection—pause and name it. Don’t rush past it. Let it remind you of the deeper joy that is yours in Jesus, and let it point your heart toward heaven.

Pray

Jesus, thank you that your joy is stronger than anything this world can offer. Teach me to live from that joy, not just for it. When life is heavy, remind me of what’s ahead. Help me not to miss the joy you’re offering me today. In Jesus’ name. Amen.