In a pro basketball game in South Africa, I drove the baseline and dunked on the guy guarding me. I then stole the inbounds pass and dunked it again. After that, I received a pass from a teammate who stole the ball on the next ossession and yet dunked again. I had three dunks in a span of about 60 seconds. However, in that same game I also was dunked on and fouled the guy on the play. As it was my fifth and disqualifying foul, I went to the bench to watch my team lose the game.

Sports and life resemble that game—full of ups and downs as people search for happiness and satisfaction. The root word for happiness is happen, meaning that our happiness depends on what happens around us. Joy on the other hand is not based on circumstance. It is found only in Christ and is not subject to what happens. Joy in Christ gives us a foundation to face times of glory and times of defeat without being shaken or losing hope. Why? Because we know that no matter the situation, God will work all things—good or bad—for His good.