The feeling of joy is one of the best emotions. We all want joy in our lives. But always? Is that even possible? It seems like an unreachable target. There are situations in life and hockey which don’t always seem joyful. Like when our team is losing. Or, when we don’t make the team after a summer of dedicated training.

Joy doesn’t come when a loved one gets sick or a friend unexpectedly passes away. These don’t seem like experiences that warrant joy. This is because we confuse joy for its counterfeit called happiness. Happiness depends on our circumstances and comes and goes with them. Happiness is fleeting and can never be fully satisfied by the things of this world. Joy is deeper.

We can only be joyful always if we are not basing our joy on our circumstances, but rather on who God is and on what Jesus has done for us on the cross. Joy based on who God is won’t change because He never changes. The only way to have a joy always, is to be in a relationship with the one who never changes … God.