I once heard my friend share that when his children leave for school in the morning, he tells them to “be joyfully different.” His aim in doing so is to remind his kids that they are set apart as God’s children and that the joy of the Lord is what marks the heart of those who have put their trust in Jesus.
As Christians, our joy is distinct. Life may not always feel happy, but our joy isn’t diminished by life’s disappointments. It isn’t snuffed out by suffering or sadness. And others will come to know God by our distinctive joy. But what does it mean to be filled with the joy of the Lord? What does it look like to live a life marked by joy? And how can our joy spill out to increase others’ joy?
Mary Magdalene was joyfully different, and her story shows how our joy becomes contagious as we share the good news of Jesus. We all have different callings and distinct giftings, but God’s Word is clear: His children share one purpose and that is to tell of salvation through Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. (See Matt. 28:19-20.) This doesn’t have to feel intimidating. Mary Magdalene shows the joy available to us when we share the greatest joy with the people God brings into our life. Let’s explore her story to learn about the power and importance of spreading joy.
Receive His Grace
Knowing we have nothing apart from Christ allows us to be filled with the joy of the Lord and to be satisfied in His love. This was Mary’s story. In Luke 8:1-3, we learn that Mary’s new life in Christ began when He miraculously rescued her from seven demons who possessed her. It’s clear that this lavish act of grace shaped her love for Jesus and devotion to Him for the rest of her life. Mary’s overwhelming gratitude for Jesus’ gracious rescue led to unwavering devotion throughout her time spent in His presence. Knowing our need for God’s grace is what helps us recognize God’s grace as the lavish gift it is. And we will rejoice e in this gift to the extent we know that we need it.
What difference has God’s love made in your life? How has His grace shaped your desire to follow Jesus?
Recognize His Voice
Mary Magdalene only shows up a handful of times in the Gospel accounts, but she is remembered as one of Jesus’ most faithful followers, and her life was deeply impacted by her time with Him. In John 20, we see Mary on the third day after the crucifixion of Jesus. She went to Jesus’ tomb early in the morning while it was still dark to grieve her profound loss. Instantly, she noticed things were not as they should have been — or so she thought. The tomb stood empty, and she assumed Jesus’ body had been stolen. She quickly encountered a man whom she failed to recognize as her resurrected Lord and instead mistook Him as the culprit, instantly mistrusting Him. She appeared distraught and confused.
Until He said her name.
“Mary,” Jesus said. She heard her name spoken in a voice that sounded like home. Her heart knew before her mind could comprehend. Jesus was alive. She rejoiced readily because she knew Jesus. Joy comes quickly in response to what it knows.
When we know the voice of God, we recognize it easily and rejoice readily. The more we know Jesus, the more we will see the fingerprints of God’s goodness and faithfulness in our story, which naturally increases our joy and sustains us in seasons of both pain and joy. Since our brain prefers what it knows, the more familiar God’s voice becomes, the more our hearts will yearn for His truth!
Consider how knowing God helps you recognize His power and love in your life more easily. How does recognizing His presence in your life lead you to rejoice?
Recount the Good News
There are so many meaningful and moving moments in this scene from John 20 when Mary Magdalene recognized Jesus, but her declaration in verse 18 is one of my personal favorites. Jesus told Mary to share with the others that He would be ascending to heaven. Going to the disciples, she burst with joy as she shouted, “I have seen the Lord!” Her love and delight at the resurrection of her Lord could not be contained.
What Mary probably didn’t understand was that spreading joy by telling others about Jesus is at the heart of evangelism. It is one of the ways we are invited to partner with Jesus as He transforms lives. The Greek word for joy — chara — is used in three different contexts throughout the New Testament, and together they give us a full picture of what Mary’s testimony models for us.
Paul referred to joy as a gift of the Holy Spirit, the result of suff ering for Christ’s sake, and the result of witnessing the progress of faith in believers — introducing others to Jesus and sometimes catching a glimpse of how He is transforming people’s lives. Mary Magdalene was transformed by the joy of the Lord, and that joy overfl owed into the lives of those she interacted with.
Letting others know about the ultimate joy available to us through Jesus will increase our own joy. Whether we are explaining the gospel to someone who does not yet know the hope of Jesus or sharing how He is transforming our lives, spreading the truth of Christ’s presence and power in our lives will increase our joy.
How has telling the good news of Jesus increased your joy? Ask God to show you who may need to hear about the difference knowing Jesus has made in your story.
While others come to know God through the distinctive nature of the joy of the Lord, Scripture also says, “the joy of the Lord is your strength” (Neh. 8:10). Th rough our grief, our sin, and our struggles, the joy of the Lord is what strengthens and sustains our own hearts.
When I reflect on what I would typically turn to for strength, I’m not sure joy is the first quality I would reach for. I might reach for perseverance or courage. Yet when I consider the more painful seasons in my life, having access to a joy I wasn’t disqualified from because of my circumstances or emotional state is what sustained me in those seasons. The joy of the Lord was indeed my strength.
Such joy gives us assurance that what we cannot see is not all there is, that what is dark today is not going to be dark forever, and that through Jesus, we have access to a joy that cannot be taken from us.
Sharing the difference Jesus has made in our lives is the best gift we can give to impart joy to one another and to future generations as we receive God’s grace, recognize His voice, and recount the good news of Jesus.
This article originally appeared in the May 2025 issue of Mature Living Magazine. Want to read more from Nicole Zasowski? Check out her new Bible study Daring Joy. In this 7-session Bible study, Nicole draws from her experience as a licensed marriage and family therapist to point you to the enduring joy Jesus promises. Through the examples of six women in the Bible who model both the vulnerability of joy and the power of celebration, Nicole reveals that abundant joy is something God longs for you to embrace.
