This week I will be focusing on the fruit of joy.  I skipped joy last week and focused on peace.  I have posted on love and peace so if you have missed them please hop on over to the posts and leave me a comment or your thoughts...

Joy?  Where does it come from?  How can we experience true joy when life is difficult etc.?

Well first I think we need to define joy.  I think many people confuse joy with happiness and they are not the same.  Happiness depends on our circumstances and it comes and goes.  True joy comes from the Lord.  When we choose to surrender our lives, wills and desires to the Lord He can give us joy even in the midst of trials. 

The Greek word for joy is chara and it means “joy, rejoicing, gladness – enjoyment, bliss”.  I love the word bliss – it gives me a picture of a pure happiness with singing and dancing.  Joy should cause us to rejoice, but what do we have to rejoice about and how do we keep the joy? 

First, our names are written in the book of life.  The Lord has given us salvation.  “We need to consistently focus on our great salvation so that our joy might be full.”  ~Beth Moore.  We can forget what the Lord has done for us and put our focus on our earthly troubles and struggles. 

Second, the Lord is with us in the midst of our trials and struggles.  He does not leave us alone. When we focus on the Lord not the problem we can experience joy even when life isn’t so good.  I think we need to ask him what he wants us to learn from all the situations we go through.  Paul says in Philippians 3:8  “What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ.”  Christ needs to be our all in all…our everything.  Until he becomes that - true joy is going to be allusive to us. 

Third, being restored into fellowship with the Lord (or we share in someone else’s joy when they are restored, 2 Corinthians 1:3-7).  We see this in the life of David throughout the Psalms. In particular – Psalm 71; 20, 23 “Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my life again…my lips will shout for joy when I sing praise to you.”  We sin daily and I believe we need to be restored daily by going to the Lord and seeking his forgiveness. 

Fourth, we need to abide in Christ.  I think the key to the Christian life is abiding in Christ.  We need to be in constant communication with the Lord and spending time in his word not just reading it but meditating on it.  (John 15:1-7)

Lastly, other believers can bring us joy.  The apostle Paul on numerous occasions called the believers he wrote to “his joy and crown”.  I believe the same thing can be true for us if we allow the Holy Spirit to work through us.  I know people can be difficult and there are so many different backgrounds represented in the body of Christ.  If for no other reason we should be joyful that these people have a relationship with the Creator of the world - praise God for their salvation!

There are many things that can steal our joy – sin, self-focus, not getting refueled through prayer & the Word, exhaustion, feeling alone and relying on our feelings.  True joy can only be found in spending time with the Lord, realizing the trials we go through are for a greater purpose, remembering the cross and what Christ did for us, and constantly being restored into fellowship with him. 

I pray you are filled with joy today as you walk with Lord.

 Some verses to ponder & meditate on:

Psalm 43:3-4  O send out Your light and Your truth, let them lead me; Let them bring me to Your holy hill And to Your dwelling places.  ⁴ Then I will go to the altar of God, To God my exceeding joy; And upon the lyre I shall praise You, O God, my God.

Luke 10:21  At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure.

Psalm 71:20, 23  You who have shown me many troubles and distresses Will revive me again, And will bring me up again from the depths of the earth…My lips will shout for joy when I sing praises to You; And my soul, which You have redeemed.

Psalm 16:11  You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.

Philemon 1:7  For I have come to have much joy and comfort in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, brother.