Fruits of the Spirit: Joy

By:  Dale Weckbacher

Galatians 5:22-23

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

(ESV)

Sunday October 1, 2017 seemed like any typical Sunday.  For myself it was a quiet day at home with family.  It was a day for attending church services where the congregation worshiped the Lord, heard a message from the Word of God, and had a wonderful time of fellowship which on this Sunday meant a taco bar after services.  I went to sleep that evening with much happiness at the wonderful day the Lord had provided.  Unfortunately, that happiness soon faded after waking up Monday morning and hearing about the massive shooting in Las Vegas.  James 1:2 tells us to consider it joy when we encounter trials.  A casual reading of this passage leaves us asking the question, how can one experience joy when facing a trial in their lives.  The answer lies in understanding the difference between happiness and joy, understanding what gives the Lord Joy, and understanding how we can experience the Joy of the Lord, the source of our strength (Nehemiah 8:10).

While we often equate joy with happiness, happiness is dependent on external events and joy has a spiritual quality and something we experience internally.  (1)  With this distinction between happiness and joy, we can surmise that James 1:2 is not telling us to be happy about trials we face but to not lose our internal joy when they occur.  Easier said than done you might say but the good news is that it is something we can experience through understanding what gives the Lord joy and how we can experience that joy and receive strength.

Scripture tells us that God was joyful when John baptized Jesus (Matthew 3:16-17).  Churches baptize new Believers today as a public declaration of accepting Jesus as their savior.  However, Jesus, who knew no sin (2 Corinthians 5:21) had no need for a savoir and thus no need to publicly display a belief in a savior through baptism.  This is precisely why John tried to prevent Jesus from being baptized (Matthew 3:14) for John knew it was he who needed salvation, not the perfect Lamb of God.  However, John did agree to baptizing Jesus after Jesus assured him He was doing it to fulfill all righteousness.  Jesus baptism was not a demonstration of faith in His savior but an act of obedience which gave joy to God, His Heavenly Father.  Another thing that gives the Lord joy is us, for Luke 12:32 reminds us that it is God the Father’s great pleasure of joy to give those who have accepted Jesus as savior the kingdom.  God also receives immense joy over one lost sinner coming to repentance (Luke 15:7). 

At this point I need to pause and give those reading this who have not yet brought joy to the heart of God the Father an opportunity to do so by repenting or their sins and making Jesus their savior.  If that is you, I invite you to pray with me now and bring God the Father joy,

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23).  I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9).  I believe you died, was buried, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.

I now encourage you to continue giving God the Father joy by studying His Word the Bible, attending a church teaching the Bible, and spending time with other believers.  Most importantly, however, I encourage you to live in obedience to what you learn from scripture you read or are taught for as Jesus demonstrated, obedience brings joy to the God the Father and how we continue to bring joy to God’s heart. 

The joy of the Lord is not some mystical thing we can only experience through some spiritual ritual but is something that lives within us through the Holy Spirit living in the heart of every believer in Jesus as their savior.  Believers in Jesus Christ will still have trials in their lives but instead of losing all joy tied to happiness when these events happen, they have the greatest source of internal joy, the Spirit of God within them and can tap into that strength.  Our first reaction to trials in our life is panic and despair but as believers we can tap into the internal joy of the Lord that is in each of us.

Joy is a fruit of the Spirit of God and dwells within every believer.  We must not confuse this with happiness which is something dependent upon external events in our lives and for joy is internal.  Tapping into this source of joy involves first making Jesus our savior which not only brings the Lord great joy but also opens the door to receiving the Holy Spirit in our lives, the most powerful source of internal joy.  In these chaotic times, events will occur that take away our happiness.  People without Jesus as their savior lack a strong internal source of joy in their lives, the Joy of the Lord.  God’s people must therefore allow the fruit of joy to show in their lives as a witness of how the joy of the Lord helps us through unhappy times that will occur in our lives. 

1. M.A., Sandra L. Brown. Joy -VS- Happiness. www.psychologytoday.com. [Online] Psychology Today, December 18, 2012. [Cited: October 7, 2017.] https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/pathological-relationships/201212/joy-vs-happiness.