The Joy Project - Tony Reinke

True happiness isn’t found. It finds you.

We think of our chase for joy as a fundamental right—and it’s no surprise. By nature we are pleasure-seekers, though chronically unsuccessful at finding the type of joy that will endure for more than a passing moment.

But what if long-lasting joy isn’t found at all? What if the deepest and most durable happiness breaks into our lives, overcomes our boredom, and ultimately finds us? What if true joy is out of our reach, but reaches for us?

• What if joy goes deeper than the flimsy foundations of organized day planners, thinned-out closets, freshly painted walls, or a perfectly followed gym routine?
• What if joy is not found at the end of a to-do list?
• What if joy is not governed by the personality assigned to me by the lottery of my genetic heritage?
• What if Aristotle, when he said my happiness depends on me, was fundamentally wrong?

To say it another way: What if I told you someone else was more concerned for your joy than you could ever be? What if this person has been planning your joy since before you were born? Would you believe me, or would you write me off as a well-meaning but ignorant religious optimist?

If you’ll hear me out, I want to share with you a true story of inescapable happiness.

The Joy Project is a story that reminds us we are characters in God’s unfolding cosmic story. God has written our joy into a script, and what he planned for us we can hardly imagine. The Joy Project is the heartbeat of Scripture. Neglect the Bible, and you neglect God’s Joy Project, and you neglect your own joy. The Joy Project is the boldest story ever told. It will shock you, then it will bewilder you, and then it will plunge you into an ocean of divine love.