A while back, I lost the remote control to our Apple TV. I started to look for it in all the usual places: down the sides of the lounge, behind the television, and so on. But when I didn’t find it, I started looking for it in the craziest places. There I was, rifling through the bin, pulling all the clothes out of the laundry basket, tipping all the Lego out on the kids’ bedroom floor, even searching on the car floor – all in the effort to find the remote control. “This is crazy,” I thought to myself. When we have lost something valuable, we look for it in the craziest of places.

Unfortunately, we can think of Christmas much like that. We can find ourselves searching for joy and peace in the craziest of places.

We think: “If only I get the best present… if only the Christmas meal is just right… if only we can get through without having a family crisis… if only we had two weeks in Fiji… then, finally I would find all this peace and joy that we sing about at Christmas.” But that is trying to find joy in the craziest of places.

The Christmas story reminds us that the source of all joy is not more possessions or more food or even a trip to Fiji. That joy is found in a manger. This is what Luke 2:10-11 says:

“But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.”

How does a child in a cattle shed bring great joy?

As you trace Jesus’ story, we see that he brings us back to our creator. He restores the brokenness that infects the world. He will transform our dark hearts. He will lovingly and graciously rule our lives. The angel tells us that this is where we will find the joy that our hearts long for.

When you lose something, and you desperately want to find it again, you search in the same place again and again, even though you know it’s not there.

If you have lost joy and want to find it this year, don’t keep going back to the same old places. It might seem crazier than looking for your remote in the laundry basket, but maybe this year, find your joy in Jesus. Gifts and holidays leave us disappointed time and time again. Jesus will bring us the joy that our hearts are so desperately searching for.