The Fruit of the Spirit is.... Joy!

I just thought I would include this picture of my siblings and I. Being with them gives me a lot of joy

 Joy has been an important characteristic to me. I grew up understanding that my name, Abbigail, meant "Source of Joy". I realize now that I will never be the source of Joy - that duty belongs to God. I think a more accurate meaning for my name is "She brings joy to her Father" and that I hope is true. Both to my earthly father and to my heavenly Father.

What is the definition of joy? Here is a combination of different ones that I found:  a feeling of extreme gladness, delight, or exultation of the spirit arising from a sense of well-being or satisfaction. a feeling of great pleasure and happiness. The passion or emotion excited by the acquisition or expectation of good; that excitement of pleasurable feelings which is caused by success, good fortune, the gratification of desire or some good possessed, or by a rational prospect of possessing what we love or desire; gladness; exultation; exhilaration of spirits.

This year I am talking about the fruits of the Spirit - in other words characteristics that come because the Spirit is working in our lives. I find this passage in John 15 to be very fitting. We need to abide in Christ. He is the vine that we are growing off of. We need to be completely connected to Him - getting our nourishment from Him. This will lead us to a joyful life.

John 15:1-11“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

9 “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.

One of the very interesting things about Joy that comes from God (in my opinion) is that it doesn't depend on us being in a good situation or getting the things we want. Consider these passages....

James 1:2-4 "Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."

2 Corinthians 7:4 "Great is my confidence in you; great is my boasting on your behalf. I am filled with comfort; I am overflowing with joy in all our affliction."

2 Corinthians 8:1-5 "Now, brethren, we wish to make known to you the grace of God which has been given in the churches of Macedonia, that in a great ordeal of affliction their abundance of joy and their deep poverty overflowed in the wealth of their liberality. For I testify that according to their ability, and beyond their ability, they gave of their own accord, begging us with much urging for the favor of participation in the support of the saints, and this, not as we had expected, but they first gave themselves to the Lord and to us by the will of God."

Isn't that one above convicting? I pray that they Holy Spirit will work in me to help me have that kind of joy and generosity and devotion to Jesus Christ! Here is another convicting one...

Hebrews 10:32-34 "But remember the former days, when, after being enlightened, you endured a great conflict of sufferings, partly by being made a public spectacle through reproaches and tribulations, and partly by becoming sharers with those who were so treated. For you showed sympathy to the prisoners and accepted joyfully the seizure of your property, knowing that you have for yourselves a better possession and a lasting one."

The beatitudes touch on joy as well...

Matthew 5:11 & 12 "Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of My. Rejoice and by glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you."

I think this passage really helps us to understand why we can have joy even in the midst of persecution or other hard times. By the help of the Holy Spirit we understand that this life is not our focus - heaven is. So we can have that happiness, that exultation of spirit, that sense of well-being, that expectation of good - all a part of joy - because we are looking beyond just what we see any feel in this life.

 I was so inspired reading these different accounts in scripture about joy in the midst of troubles. I want to share one more of those with you...

Acts 5:40-42 "They took his advice; and after calling the apostles in they flogged them and ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and then released them. So they went on their way form the presence of the Council, rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for His name. And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they kept right on teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ." Acts 5:40-42

This is my prayer for you....

Romans 15:13 "Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."

Colossians 1:9-12 "For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light."

That last passage hits on another important aspect of living a joy filled life. Be thankful!!! There is nothing quite like Thankfulness (in my opinion) to turn our attitude to one of joy.

Another picture that brings me joy. An old one of enjoying music with my buddy boy.