“Have you ever heard the Greek myth about Tantalus? Zeus labeled him a thief and a traitor and sentenced him to agonizing punishment. Tantalus had to stand under the branches of a tree laden with ripe, delicious fruit while resting in a pool of cool water. Whenever Tantalus tried to pick the fruit, the gods moved the branches out of his reach. And when Tantalus knelt down to drink the refreshing water, the pool always dried up. From this story we gained the verb ‘to tantalize.’

Joy is like Tantalus’s fruit and water. You’ll never get it by looking for it. To find joy you have to take an indirect route. Don’t look for joy. Look to Christ. Pray like Jehoshaphat: ‘My eyes are on you, Lord.’

Even when Paul commands us to rejoice, he’s fundamentally calling us to place our confidence in who God is and what He’s done. Paul’s command to rejoice comes at the very end of his letter to the Philippians (4:4). This command comes after Paul acknowledged the good work of salvation God began and promised to complete (1:6). It comes after Paul recalled how earthly trials are nothing compared to heavenly hope (1:23). It comes after Paul recounted the high cost Christ paid to save an unholy people (2:8). It comes after Paul proclaimed his identity is not in safety, reputation, or ministry, but in Christ alone (3:12). And it comes after he declared that no matter what happens in this life, our citizenship is in heaven (3:20).

 In all these chapters, Paul deliberately placed the eyes of his readers on the trustworthy Savior. And only after doing this, only after pointing to God who is worthy of all our faith, did Paul finally command, ‘Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice’ (4:4). It’s as if Paul is saying, ‘You must rejoice, and if you want to know how, revisit what I’ve just said: put your trust in Christ.’

The key to finding joy is to stop looking for it. Keep your eyes on Christ instead. Then watch and wait. Joy will come.”