If you could have one superpower, what would it be? Think about that for a second. No really, which one would you pick?

I have used this question for several icebreakers before. Flying is a common response. Who wouldn’t want to soar safely through the air like Superman? Or I have thought of breathing underwater, but I do hate sharks, so I have moved away from that one. So often we think of a superpower as something we do. Take the X-men movies for example. Controlling metal or physical objects or even people with your mind are some of the most powerful powers they possess. What often is overlooked as a superpower is something you possess, not just something you do. Consider Solomon from the Old Testament. What was his superpower? Wisdom. With wisdom, he was able to do many things like decide between difficult cases and share insights about living as he governed his kingdom. But it was possessing wisdom that allowed him to do those things. Unfortunately for Solomon, knowing the right thing to do and doing it are two different things, but I digress. One response I have never heard as a desired superpower is joy. Yet joy is a superpower that we can have as Christians.

Consider Paul and Silas in Acts 16. They were stripped, beaten with rods, severely flogged, and thrown into the inner prison. There they had their feet fastened with stocks. They were physically wounded and hurting. Their rights as Roman citizens had been violated and due process was denied them. Yet they were praying and singing songs to God at midnight that night. The passage does not say the word joy, but it certainly seems to be on display here.

Yet what is joy? I define joy as superpowered happiness. It is a powerful and enduring experience of gladness. What is the source of this superpower? Is it some mutated gene like the X-men? No. Is it a secret identity of being an alien from another planet? Well, kind of. We are born from above and citizens of heaven. But the source is God.

And how does God superpower happiness to make it joy? In two different ways: 1) by revealing His beauty and wonder 2) by helping us to know and trust in God’s promises. God is the creator of all beauty and therefore all beauty is a reflection of his perfect beauty. This relates to a quote I have always loved by John Flavel – the only thing that can break the soul’s gaze on an object is to see a more beautiful object. It is as we glimpse the true beauty of God that we are broken free from all lesser beauties. Jesus demonstrates the beauty and wonder of God through the incarnation we celebrate. It is as we grasp the beauty of God in Christ, how we can be united with God through faith in Jesus, and how nothing can separate us from God that we receive superpowered happiness. The second element of our superpowered happiness comes from hope. Our hope springs from trusting God will do what He said He will do. So, I encourage you to jump back to the Hope blog as a refresher.

Joy isn’t just a superpower we possess. It allows us to do certain things. One such thing it allows us to do that is all too relevant is to endure suffering. Hebrews 12:2 tells us that Jesus, ‘for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Jesus knew God completely and knew what was to come. This allowed Him to make the sacrifice to heal and restore us to God. It enabled Him to endure the worst of all sufferings. I am sure you are experiencing some kind of struggle right now because we all are. Almost no matter what we are going through, when we perceive there is light at the end of the tunnel, we find strength to press on. Yet when we realize the light at the end of the tunnel is God and His promises, we are empowered to rejoice in the midst of our suffering. These words aren’t meant to be trite or to minimize the very real struggles we are experiencing. But we will be unable to perceive what we already possess in God and the promises of what is to come if we only focus our attention on our struggle and don’t lift our eyes to gaze on something else. Shifting our attention isn’t easy but it is possible. God help us!

This is the third week of Advent and Joy was the theme of this blog if you didn’t get it already 🙂 Christ’s coming is a cause of joy! It may seem like things in the world are not going the way you want but they are not the sources of Christian joy. They don’t superpower our happiness like only God can. So, I encourage you to reflect on the beauty and promises of God. Read some stories of Jesus. Connect with God in nature or however else you have encountered Him. Meditate on God’s promises. Plan a party to celebrate Jesus. Or maybe even set aside a day for it 😉