It is just another sentimental Christmas carol, right? Well, maybe. If that’s what you think, you may not understand Christian joy. Happy is how you feel when you get what you want, even if it was a selfish want. Joy is the wonderful feeling that comes when you are in God’s plan for you and He is communicating something important for you to consider. If you read the Old Testament, God has been sending joy to the world ever since He created it – even when we’re not always paying attention. So He sent his Son as a really big wake up call for the earth - that’s what the song is all about! Even if we are saved and doing the right things we can be lost in our own little world. That’s why the song says, “Let every heart prepare Him room.” Could it be that we have gradually let our fears, desires, irritations, stresses, and everyday frustrations crowd Him out? Even your best friend will start avoiding you if you consistently forget about him or her. “No more let sins and sorrows grow,” suggests the song. Most of us don’t want to think of ourselves as sinners and we certainly don’t want to be depressed. But most sins are happen when we forget our best goals and highest ideals. Then those sins grow like weeds in the garden of our mind; at first only a few sprouts but eventually choking out the best thoughts.
So how do we combat the mind weeds that will destroy our yearly harvest of joy (as well as peace, love, and other fruit of the Christian life—see Galatians 5:22)? I am going to recommend a new year’s resolution that I guarantee will produce more joy in your life. Spend a few minutes each day with God’s Word. Then spend a few minutes talking to God about your life. Don’t “pray,” as most Christians pray, just talk to God—honestly and openly, telling Him about the secret fears, pains, and heart aches. That’s what you would do with a real friend that you trust, right? Then comes the hardest part: spend a few minutes listening for God’s answers. The whole Bible suggests that we wait on God for His message, but it takes a while to develop the patience to do it. My guarantee? Try it for six weeks to see if you don’t have more joy and peace in your life. If it doesn’t work, just think. God might be willing to refund to you that stress and pain you would have had during those times of the day spent reading, praying, and quiet time with God!
-David Lindberg
