Joy- Do You Have These Fruits?

 

If you were following, you would have known that I have started an ongoing series on the Fruits of The Spirit. 

Last month, we had 'Love'. 

Now, this month we are focusing on Joy. 

Joy in greek is translated into Chara-Kara or Chario. 

It means calm, delight, or to rejoice. 

If you were to Google this, you will see:- a feeling of great pleasure and happiness. 

If I may provide my view on joy, I would say that it is different from happiness to me. 

I feel like joy isn't conditional. 

It isn't something that can be easily interrupted if something wasn't to go our way. 

It's not easily wavered or taken away. 

Now the thing about joy is that it is not brought to you by what good is occurring in your life. 

It is a mentality. 

It is a conscious decision that regardless of what happens in your life, you will have this joy!

It is the ability to remain content, or even happy in every situation that occurs in your life. 

I know, it's impossible for one to be happy or even calm when there is nothing in their life to even validate that reaction. 

Why would I be delighted or even rejoice when there is nothing to be about?

Yet, this is what joy is!

To be able to rejoice in the midst of the bad. 

To be able to be calm in the midst of trials and tribulations.

James 1:2 

"Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds"

Why is he telling us to be joyful during these times?

Why should I be delighted to encounter these moments?

It is because this is where joy strives.

We must be able to rejoice in the Lord at all times! Philippians 4:4

So, how should one come into possession of this fruit?

How do we come to rejoice and live a life of joy?

I'm glad you ask.

Psalm 16:11

"You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasure at your right hand." 

The verse tells us that we are filled with joy in the presence of the Lord. 

How is this done?

By seeking His presence. 

Praying. 

Obedience. 

Meditating on the Word of God. 

Spending time with God, and being in His presence is where we receive joy. 

Then, once we have received this joy we must then put it into practice. 

What do I mean?

It means when trials and things happen in your life, with the assistance of relying on God, we must put into practice gratitude.

In preparing this message for you, I pulled up the number of times joy was spoken in the Bible and I noticed that in every instance, it was asked to be done at all times. 

Practicing or having joy is something that should be consistent. 

It is something that one must always have. 

This goes right back to what I said at the beginning about how it is not conditional. 

1 Thessalonians 5:16, simply says "Rejoice always".

So today as we continue to build our tree into being fruitful. 

Let us practice Joy and Love.  

Let us ensure that the Joy of the Lord is our strength. Nehemiah 8:10

I know we won't always want to be calm or delighted or even rejoice in some situations in our lives, but the more we practice this fruit, the easier it comes to chew. 

~TheRay