Paul’s Secret of Joy

The Deep Delight of Seeing Faith Grow

“For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown 

in which we will glory in the presence of 

our Lord Jesus when he comes? 

Is it not you? Indeed, you are our glory and joy.” 

1 Thessalonians 2:19–20 (NIV)

Paul’s affection for the Thessalonians reveals a truth that lies at the heart of Christian joy: our deepest happiness comes not from personal comfort but from seeing others grow strong in faith. Paul found joy not in success or safety, but in the steadfastness of those he had led to Christ. Even while enduring persecution and hardship, his spirit rejoiced because his converts were standing firm in the Lord. His joy was not circumstantial — it was relational and redemptive, anchored “in the presence of God.”

John Stott wrote, “Paul’s joy was not the shallow gaiety of the optimist, but the profound joy of the realist who has learned that true happiness is found in service and sacrifice.” The apostle’s life exemplifies that reality: he prayed “night and day” for others’ faith to be perfected (1 Thessalonians 3:10). His joy overflowed as he saw their love increasing (3:12). As C.S. Lewis observed, “Joy is the serious business of heaven.” Such joy is not selfish elation but the delight that comes from participating in God’s redemptive work in another soul.

True joy, then, is found in the flourishing of others. E. Stanley Jones once said, “When you make another’s life blossom, your own life cannot help but bloom.” In our world obsessed with individual achievement, Paul reminds us that the measure of a Christian’s joy is not how much we possess but how many we help stand firm in Christ. As Rick Warren writes, “We were created for community, fashioned for fellowship, and formed for a family — and none of us can fulfill God’s purposes by ourselves.” When we invest in others’ spiritual strength, we share in God’s own joy — the joy that never fades, because it is rooted in eternity.

Prayer:

Lord, fill us with the joy of Paul — a joy rooted not in comfort but in the faith and love of others. Teach us to rejoice when Your work flourishes in those around us. May our words and lives strengthen others to stand firm in Christ, until together we share eternal joy in Your presence. Amen.