Editor’s note: John 15:13 says that “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.” For the month of July, each blog post will be centered around this verse and finding the JOY in a life of Christ.
Joy – a feeling of great pleasure and happiness; the emotion evoked by well-being, success or good fortune or by the prospect of possessing what one deserves; the emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something exceptionally good or satisfying; keen pleasure; elation.
Do you feel joy all the time? Nope – neither do I! Sometimes in our everyday same ‘ole, same ‘ole it is hard to feel joyful and it is hard to find joy, BUT Jesus is with us at all times and that should erupt excitement from within that we can shout out to the world. Fall into the arms of Jesus and he will fill you with joy! “Allow Jesus to introduce His joy to you. The joy of Jesus was the absolute self-surrender and self-sacrifice of Himself to His Father, the joy of doing that which the Father sent Him to do. “I delight to do Thy will.” Jesus prayed that our joy might go on fulfilling itself until it was the same joy as His.” – Oswald Chambers in My Utmost For His Highest.
We have all walked down roads of trials, disappointments, fear, loneliness…..the list could go on and on. How we choose to handle those trying times is the outer skin that other people see. And because we are human, when someone else is hurting, it is our human nature to pay close attention to how they choose to walk their uninvited path. Joy is a choice. We are given an opportunity to make choices every second of every day. Choose joy because no one can take your joy from you! When your heart knows how to rejoice in God, you have found the secret place of joy that comes from within. We have to look through the smoky haze of our disappointments and hurt to see the joy of the Lord. Hold onto the joy with God and your trials will diminish in size and your joy will shine. God never promised that we would live a perfect life, but He did promise that He would be with us every step of the way. Live in the place God has put you in and live in it well! Lack of hope and joy produces pessimism; don’t let pessimism rule your being.
“My fellow believers, when it seems as though you are facing nothing but difficulties, see it as an invaluable opportunity to experience the greatest joy that you can! For you know that when your faith is tested it stirs up in you the power of endurance. And then as your endurance grows even stronger, it will release perfection into every part of your being until there is nothing missing and nothing lacking.” James 1:2-3. What a mind-blowing verse! We are promised perfection in our being! Gladness of heart is a constant emotion, regardless of what is occurring in your life. “Be of good cheer, I have overcome the world!” John 16:33 – Wow! What more do we need to hear?
My granddaddy would always say, “Be cheerful!” when we parted ways with him. If you know my husband, Johnny, you know that laughter gushes from his being, so when Granddaddy died, Johnny claimed that saying. I love hearing him say it because it embodies his life and that is what he wishes for everyone else.
We do not know what each day will bring and this should be said with an expression of breathless expectation when we are rightly related to God. Life is full of spontaneous, joyful uncertainty but many times we turn these expectations into fear. Fear can indwell our spirit and steal our joy. “For God will never give you the spirit of fear, but the Holy Spirit who gives you mighty power, love and self-control.” 2 Timothy 1:7. You don’t learn when your spirit is full of fear. Joy will accomplish things that fearful intersession may never receive. Psalms 43:4 says, “Then I will go to the alter of God, to God my exceeding joy; and on the harp I will praise you, O God, My God” . This is so exciting! God is our exceeding joy – He gives joy to us – all we have to do is receive it! Shout for joy! Joy is for a lifetime! Be Cheerful!!
We would like to thank Kim Street for writing this blog post.
Women's Ministry 