Looking for a Christian book about joy?
Here are three books to consider.
1. Desiring God by John Piper
John Piper’s Desiring God is built around the idea that Christians find their deepest satisfaction in God Himself.
Piper calls this “Christian Hedonism.” His well-known summary is that God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.
The book connects joy with worship, prayer, Scripture, suffering, money, marriage, and other parts of Christian life.
Some sections may take more concentration than others, so you may want to read it a little at a time.
Choose this one if you want to think more deeply about why enjoying God is part of the Christian life.
2. Surprised by Joy by C.S. Lewis
Surprised by Joy is C.S. Lewis’s spiritual autobiography.
Lewis writes about his childhood, atheism, intellectual development, and eventual change to Christianity.
But the word joy has a particular meaning in this book.
Lewis uses it to describe an intense longing for something beyond what he could fully reach or explain. Experiences with books, beauty, nature, and other things sometimes awakened that longing in him.
Over time, Lewis came to see that this desire was pointing beyond itself.
This book is the story of a searching person gradually being drawn toward God.
Lewis also refers to many books, writers, and ideas from his own life, so some sections may require slower reading.
Choose this one if you enjoy memoir, ideas, and stories about how someone came to faith.
3. The Life You’ve Always Wanted by John Ortberg
John Ortberg writes about spiritual growth and the practices that can help Christians become more like Jesus.
The book is not only about joy, but joy is part of its larger picture of spiritual transformation. Ortberg connects Christian growth with practices such as prayer, slowing down, serving others, and celebration.
That makes it a good fit for this list.
Joy in this book is connected with the kind of person you are becoming. Ortberg encourages readers to pay attention to how they are actually living rather than simply knowing more about Christianity.
He also treats celebration as a spiritual practice, which gives the book a more practical angle on joy than the other two books here.
His style is conversational and practical, so this is probably the easiest of the three books mentioned here to apply to everyday life.
Choose this one if you want to think about joy as part of your habits, relationships, and daily walk with God.
Conclusion
If you want to think about finding your satisfaction and joy in God, start with Desiring God.
If you enjoy memoir and the story of someone’s journey toward faith, try Surprised by Joy.
If you want a book about spiritual growth that includes joy and celebration as part of Christian life, choose The Life You’ve Always Wanted.
You might write down ideas you read and pray about those things in your life.
You can also return to Scripture when a book raises a question or makes you want to understand something more deeply.