Joy is a sense of well-being that rises above circumstances--it can be experienced in bad circumstances and is often lacking in good, comfortable circumstances. This is because true joy is anchored in oneness with God, and substitute gods can't truly satisfy. One of the ways God cultivates joy in our lives is through partnerships--relationships--with others, as we work together to achieve God's purpose in this world. These relationships build our purpose, our gratitude to God, our prayer life (as we bring others' needs to God), and our joyful affection for each other.

Challenging circumstances can make us question what God is doing--if He's truly in control, just, and/or loving. Paul though has another attitude, even as he sits in jail, seeing how God is working in his difficult circumstances--not only fulfilling his goal of sharing the gospel but taking it beyond what he imagined. When we consider and account for God's sovereignty in difficult situations, we will find joy as we see His ability to work beyond circumstance and beyond our failings and limitations, and as we embrace the idea that God is always working for our ultimate good.

Cultivating joy begins with cultivating a heart of gratitude to God for his generous grace toward us. A thankful heart is a joyous heart. In Christian community, when we are servants to one another, we will experience peace with God, delight in the truth, love relationships, and progress in our areas of struggle. The life of joy for a servant of God comes through a calculated decision that to live is Christ and to die is gain.

As believers, we can commit deeply with one another because in God's world, truth is not relative. In the Body, we are striving together as fellow truth-seekers, rather than like in the world where everyone clashes over their disparate, personal truths. We experience a deeper unity because the bonds we share in Christ change us and we share the same Holy Spirit. Another source of unifying joy is the coming together to accomplish a cause that is greater than any one of us, and is worthy of our time and sacrifice.

Not all sacrifice is noble or good. Some have sacrificed their lives for a lie, like Nazi soldiers in World War II. Everyone is pouring their life out for something. The question is what are you pouring your life out for? Wealth? Power? Your children? Paul poured himself out as a drink offering of thanksgiving in the service of Jesus Christ. That is something worth dying for because God has something so much better than the world has to offer.

Although we are works in progress, we can have joy because we have confidence that Jesus will complete the work of transformation that he began in us. We know the end of the story which gives us courage to fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. We can confidently rejoice because having put our faith in Jesus, we have safe passage.

To have the peace of God, we have to have peace with God. The real problem is not our there but within. It is our alienation from God because of sin. Once we are reconciled to Him, then we have peace with God, and can then experience the peace of God. The quality of our inner life is substantially determined by the quality of the object of our affection. When we delight or rejoice in Him, give Him thanks, then it begins to shape who we are. Our passions then align with God's passions and the result is peace.

Contentment is not dependent upon favorable circumstances but is a spiritual capacity to have inner wealth or fulness regardless of your physical state. People who choose to be grateful have learned the secret to contented joy. Grateful people know that all we have are God's gracious blessings. Grateful people have learned to find their purpose in life by following God and stepping out in faith. They seek the good of others. They know satisfying relationships are mutual.