Is there a specific place in your life that needs to be infused with joy? Are you wondering where your joy has gone? Having a hard time drawing joy up so you can taste even a little bit of it? I need you to know you already have joy!
Yes, as a believer in Christ you already have joy. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. As a result of the Holy Spirit dwelling within our spirits, we have this fruit living in us! Our focus today is on joy but you can plug in any one of the fruits of the Spirit. So, if it’s true that I have direct access to joy, why it is sometimes (or often!) hard to find?
As daughters of God, we do not have to wait for something joyful to happen in order for us to be joyful. The truth is, if the Spirit is alive in us, then we already have access to joy. The Word calls us to renew our minds. In the process of renewing our minds daily, we must regularly choose to engage joy, so we can experience these fruits firsthand. We must practice this as a discipline until we mature to the place where it becomes our immediate go-to in any situation, and it becomes a natural habit.
Joy isn’t about an emotion. Joy is a knowledge of having settled in our hearts who God is. It’s confidently knowing He is the Good in the bad, the Light in the dark, and the Truth amid the lies. Joy is choosing His heart for us even when we don’t understand life around us. It’s having a peace in the core of our beings because we know He is indeed the good God who is working everything in our favor.
How do we come to that place of understanding where we know that we know? You’ve heard me say this before—and this includes our relationship with God: Love is simply a noun until it is tested. Love is called to show itself true only when a deal breaker presents itself. Love will either step up or step away. It’s no different with God.
As an example, a wedding vow is a shadow of the vow God has made with us. When you got married, you didn’t know all you were agreeing to. If you’re like me, the vows were simply a necessity in order to make my marriage official. But things get real really quick. That whole dying to self is seriously difficult and is not for the weak hearted. Put to the test, many vows turn out to have been merely sentiment and not rooted in sacrifice.
Our feeble vows are no comparison to how God fulfills and protects His promises to us. We can—and we do—test God’s love for us. Each time, His love is proven true. We can’t make Him less God, and we can’t make Him more God. He is unshakeable, unchanging, and His love is unfathomable.
We are given the fruit of the Spirit upon accepting Christ as our personal Savior, and we can put them into action immediately. But we are people of experience, and that applies to our personal relationship with God as well. Testing God’s agape love and finding it to be steadfast no matter the situation (sin, bad decision, unfaithful action) is how we build an experiential understanding of who God is to us.
I’m not talking about doing things just so you can see if God will forgive you or provide a solution. The fact of the matter is that God will forgive you, but He’d rather you not have to deal with the consequences you have to endure by living with that type of arrogance. Besides, I think you’ll agree there are plenty of challenges already in our lives in which we test God and His goodness toward us.
Back to joy. Here’s a simple way to stir up your joy: Make it your practice to set aside a few minutes each day (maybe at the same time each day) to write down something(s) you’re thankful for. Talk to God about your list.
The natural result of gratitude is joy.
Worship is another way to stir up your joy. I love my worship time with God. Take a few minutes to relax in the presence of God with this beautiful instrumental. YouTube-Like A Flood-Molly Skaggs-Bethel Find a comfortable position, relax your whole frame, inhale/exhale a deep breath and turn your heart/mind/focus toward God.
Invite God to speak into your time with Him. Ask Him to show you something special about who He is. Invite God to protect your time with Him and in His presence, let your heart go. This quality time is another way to build your experiential knowledge of the heart of God for you.
During your time of worship follow your heart wherever it leads you to express your deep gratitude for an all consuming love that never changes toward you.
If you’re not especially moved by this particular song, get one of your favorites and set your focus on God, His love for you, all that you’re thankful for … and enjoy Him.
Sweet woman, worship is one of the most powerful weapons we have. Not only do we send evil running in the opposite direction, but we discover God’s heart for us through worship. While it’s all about Him, He seems to always make it about us, His Beloved.
NOW LIVE LOVED and THRIVE!
Self-Reflection
These questions are in no way a substitute for healthcare professionals or any level of professional counseling. I’m an advocate for taking care of oneself mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. These questions reflect my heart, NOT my profession.
This questionnaire is an opportunity to journal your thoughts and feelings. It can serve as a launching pad on which to evaluate your heart condition as you understand it. My hope is that you will take the truths you discover about yourself and hold them up to the Light to evaluate them against who God says you are.
- Do you feel like you lack joy? If so, why/why not?
- Do you believe joy originates in God? Explain or write a scripture that supports your understanding.
- What are some things you can do to express joy?
- What gives you joy?
- At times when you lack joy, why do you think that is?
- What is something you can do today, and in the days ahead, that will grow your understanding of who God is?
Talk to God about your answers. Give Him praise, ask Him questions and then listen for His gentle response.
Take Action
Use God’s word to take control over the traumas in your life. Whenever you feel terrorized by your thoughts take them captive by replacing them with the truth of God’s promises in His word.
Here is a scripture for you to print, cut and carry with you and/or post in places where you will see it often. Ground yourself in God’s truths not Satan’s attacks. Encourage your heart and mind every time you are reminded of His great love for YOU!
Here is what God’s Word says about His unfailing, relentless, unending love for you:
“Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, ‘The Lord has done great things for them.’ The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.” Psalm 126:2-3 (NIV)
Translation: Joy fills our heart and mouths from the overflow of gratitude for all God has done for us.
While joy is not dependent on what God does or does not do for us, we can’t deny the reality that He is generous and even extravagant toward us on every level of our lives.
