Jesus' words, "Your joy no man taketh from you," came directly after he had said to his disciples, troubled that they would soon see him no longer, "Ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice" (John 16:22). Christian Science reveals the same Christ, Truth, which Jesus expressed, and it shows us that joy is spiritual.
Sorrow, the opposite of joy, results from material thinking; and when a sorrowing one lifts his thought above the belief that joy is dependent on material persons, places, or things, he finds that his joy returns. One suffering from grief because a loved one has passed from his sight can find peace and joy as he realizes that the lovely qualities expressed by this one are still present because they are of God. In the realization of God's allness and man's completeness as His reflection he finds that God's ideas can never be separated. Then he experiences comfort and satisfaction.
Christian Science shows us how to maintain joy throughout our daily experiences. Perhaps one has awakened feeling joyful, expecting to have a wonderful day. Then he comes across someone who is so disagreeable and pessimistic that he is immediately shaken from his happy mood. Or his day may have been a happy one, free from friction, and a relative comes home weary, discouraged, and critical. Again his own cheerful attitude is apt to be changed to one of depression. But a student of Christian Science who is practicing what he has learned of this religion is not likely to be baffled when he meets such conditions, because he is learning the truth of Jesus' statement, "Your joy no man taketh from you." As soon as he meets those who would either intentionally or unintentionally try to rob him of his joy, he strives to lift thought above any resentment or self-pity; he firmly denies the reality of all that does not express God. In this way he not only will keep his own poise and dominion, but also will help those burdened with the cares of the day.
