Joy

We have been looking at the Fruit of the Spirit from Galatians 5:22,23 which is made up of Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self-control. We started off looking at what the Fruit is, and then proceeded to take them one by one. We started off with Love. You can refer to previous posts to have a read and follow as we go. It is never too late. In this post however, we will be looking at Joy as part of the Fruit of the Spirit.

Joy must be viewed as a choice. It is a decision we make as an act of our will. How do I mean? We choose to have the Fruit of the Spirit by accepting and inviting the Holy Spirit into our lives when we receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Personal saviour. With that decision comes the accompaniment of the Fruit. In other words, we cannot have the Fruit without the owner of the Fruit. It is His fruit. Mind you, we are talking about the Lord here who is the Spirit (cf. 2 Corinthians 3:17). So you see, we made a decision. But now, as we are being made holy by the Holy Spirit’s help(yes, you read right! He needs to to partner with Him to make it possible) as Hebrews 10:14 says, we are being renewed and transformed(i.e. sanctified).

This brings us into the consciousness of the fact that we have the fruit. And in line with the will of God for all of us who are being made like Jesus Christ, we must live in the consciousness of the manifestation of the Fruit of the Spirit (cf. Galatians 5:25) by keeping in step with the Spirit. We have decided to accept the fruit therefore we need to decide to walk in the fruit. This will require what Jesus calls denying yourself, taking up your cross and following Him(cf. Matthew 16:24). Self here is referring to the old nature (the old adamic nature otherwise called the flesh). Choose to be joyful. This is done by your will, then prayer and studying the word to know how to live in it. Let us adopt the way of the Psalmist in Psalm 77 to remember the deeds of the Lord. That is a decision you can make to remain in joy in spite of the chaos. Take your time to read and pray it.

Joy then, after it is dealt with as a decision, can be felt through our emotions. It can be expressed through happiness and relaxation. You find that you are at peace no matter what. Joy is not a feeling. It is a state. The effects of it can be felt emotionally. It is not living in denial, i.e. living as though you do not see reality. It is living in spite of reality. In this, you come to accept what isn’t but, ought to be, and vice versa, and rise above it in faith. And yes- you need godly company. You need to be in the company of believers. We overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony in the multitude or gathering of the saints.

We must never abandon the fellowship of believers. The Lord has put security there. (cf. Revelation 12:11, Hebrews 10:24,25). This is the more reason why we must go to church and be in a small group. Haven’t you realised that you feel relieved after you go to church or the small group gathering burdened? Sometimes it happens while activities are ongoing maybe through songs of worship or word ministrations. Go to church(i.e. the gathering of the saints anywhere) because you will encounter God’s presence through His Holy Spirit there. Have you forgotten what is written? In the presence of God there is fullness of Joy(cf. Psalm 16:11). You are hereby reminded just in case you forgot.

Joy then becomes your way of life. It becomes how you have chosen to live. And this is how we ought to live as new creation in Christ Jesus. We have been delivered from one kingdom to another (cf. Colossians 1:13) and every kingdom has its culture. In this kingdom of Jesus Christ, we must live out the culture. In Colossians 3: 1-17 NIV, we see how we ought to live.

Take your time as you read this. “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. ² Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. ³ For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. ⁴ When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. ⁵ Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. ⁶ Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. ⁷ You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. ⁸ But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. ⁹ Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices ¹⁰ and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. ¹¹ Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all. ¹² Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. ¹³ Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. ¹⁴ And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. ¹⁵ Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. ¹⁶ Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. ¹⁷ And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him”.

We are children of God. We ought to live as children of God. In tandem with walking in Joy, we must have that consciousness of it, and decide to walk in it. In Ephesians 5:8 NIV, we see Paul telling the Ephesians to walk as children of light because they are now in a new kingdom. “⁸ For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light“. We see that we have been translated from darkness into light. In walking as children of light, we must embody the Fruit of the Spirit and in this context, walk in Joy that proceeds from our association with Jesus through His Spirit. This requires a mindset shift and prayer. The Lord help us to walk in Joy in Jesus’ name! Amen.

Shalom Shalom!