Where is our joy resting?

In my first few months at Freedom we studied through the book of Philippians. In doing so we realized a resounding theme in that happiness is circumstantial and Joy is everlasting. What I mean is we can be happy because of things going on around us, we can be happy because we got a promotion, or a raise, or our children accomplished some great feat. At the same time we can be unhappy when our children are sick, when we are sick, when money is tight and when things just aren't going our way. But, regardless of how those things are going we must be joyful, because our joy comes from know JEsus Christ as our Lord and Savior. Our joy is unaffected by the things that are going on in our lives. Happiness and Joy are two totally different things that we possess as believers. But Romans 12:12 tells us something else about Joy.
Romans 12:12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.
We should be joyful in hope? How exactly does that work if our joy comes from Jesus and knowing Him isn't that the answer? Well, exactly what is being said here is that hope is the power behind our joy. Every emotion, every experience and every thing that goes on in life is powered by something. Our joy in the context of this verse should be powered by our relationship with Jesus Christ and the Hope that He brings. Jesus brings us hope in so many things, hope for a better world, hope for healing through prayer, hope for the lost, and hope for eternal life in HEaven in complete and total oneness with Him. That is what our joy is resting in, our hope, and our hope is found in Jesus Christ. If we understand these two things then the rest of that verse is a piece of cake. We will be patient in our affliction because of our joy, and our hope found in Jesus Christ. We will be faithful in prayer because that is where we connect our hope up with Jesus Christ to meet our needs.
So there you ahve it, the keys to hope, patience and peace all in a nutshell. It all revolves around Jesus Christ and our relationship with Him.
Thanks for reading and have a great day!