“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, JOY, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” Galatians 5:22-23 (NKJV)

One of my favorite parts of being human is experiencing joy…not just that feeling of happiness we get when something really good occurs, but pure unadulterated joy that washes over me. That feeling that starts down deep in my soul and can’t help but bubble out…out of my eyes and mouth, spilling out and infecting others. Joy is as contagious as any virus I know. It’s what I desire to give to others, it’s what I wish I could bottle up and hand to a friend anytime she might be lacking it. Joy is a blessing and a gift that is part of the fruit that the Spirit works into all of those who belong to Him. 

Joy is a kind of happiness, but it’s more than that because joy is not the result of any kind of outward circumstance. Unlike happiness, joy is based on the unchanging divine promises and eternal spiritual realities that God gives us. Joy isn’t dependent on circumstances, it’s that sense of well-being we experience when we know deep down that all is well between us and the Lord; it’s a much deeper and higher feeling than the thrill of a happy experience or the contentment of comfortable circumstances. It’s what Peter writes about in 1 Peter 1:8, “Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory.” The greek word for joy that is used here is “Chara”, which means “cheerfulness, calm delight, to be exceedingly or with great joy.” Joy does not come from earthly delights, but comes from the foundation of the Lord. 

The things of this world that bring happiness are illusive; a cheap counterfeit for the true joy that God gives through His Spirit. We sacrifice our relationships, time, money, energy, present peace and future happiness in order to pursue that which makes us happy…and it’s all so fleeting! We hold those things that bring happiness one moment, but they can be gone the next. And inevitably the thrill that comes with happiness soon fades away and we find ourselves striving for another “hit”…another experience, possession or person that will bring us that “happiness high”. 

But this is not how joy works! Joy is stable, solid and lasting. It doesn’t come and go, but is steadfast. Joy fills us as we look back on all that Christ has done and brought us through, as we see what He is currently working out in our lives, and as we view the future with the hope of being securely in His care. Joy is refreshing and invigorating. It is like a drink of fresh, cold, clear water after trudging through a hot desert. Life brings trials and struggles that wear us down and beat us up, and joy brings relief and rejuvenation to our tired bodies and souls. Finally, joy is sincere and refined. It isn’t a cheap imitation, a feeling that covers up or pushes pain and suffering away; it takes our hurts and it refines them into something beautiful and useful in our lives. 

This joy is found when we realize the truth that Christ has removed our sins “As far as the east is from the west” (Psalm 103:12). Those sins no longer have any authority over our lives; they are removed because of Jesus’ death on the cross. That freedom brings a joy that we should daily remind ourselves about! A joy that remains true even when everything around us is falling apart and trying to suck the joy right out of our lives! 

We can be in the midst of life’s greatest trials, but if we remember that Christ died for us, that He took our sins upon Himself and paid the price we were supposed to, then no trial in this world can take away the joy we should have in our salvation.

I love this that Charles Spurgeon said about joy, “Believers are not dependent upon circumstances. Their joy comes not from what they have, but from what they are; not from where they are, but from whose they are; not from what they enjoy, but from that which was suffered for them by their Lord.” Joy arises once we recognize our true identity; the identity we have in Christ. Before we recognize who we are in Him,  we are apt to choose the things of this world to give us our identity: our families, our race, religion, education, job, social status, etc. All of those definitely are a part of what makes us who we are; but if we look to them to give us our identity, we will have moments of happiness, but not true joy.

Because inevitably those things of the world will let us down and try to deceive us, changing how we see ourselves. Our identity in Christ, however, is secure and steadfast. It doesn’t change with circumstances therefore our joy in that identity stands firm as well. We are His Beloved, His chosen ones whom He has adopted as His own. Because of our identity in Christ, we will also receive the joy of His inheritance; we have access to all of the blessings of Christ. No matter what happens to us here on earth, what kind of trial or loss we face, we are  assured of an inheritance in heaven that far outweighs the suffering of this world . That is definitely cause for joy!

“Believers are not dependent upon circumstances. Their joy comes not from what they have, but from what they are; not from where they are, but from whose they are; not from what they enjoy, but from that which was suffered for them by their Lord.” 

C.H. Spurgeon

We can also experience joy because of the favor of God in our lives; a favor we enjoy because of that fact that our identity is in Him. Even though, in our humanness we mess up and fail, His favor, blessing, and promises are still ours to claim. This doesn’t mean that life will always be a bowl of cherries, it will continue to challenge us and throw trials our way;  but it does mean we can partake of the fruit of joy that the Spirit works into our lives. We enjoy this feeling of joy because His favor rests on us. Joy is what fills us when the world wants to empty us, joy is what mends us when the world wants to break us, joy is what causes us to sing when the world wants to silence us. Joy is what Paul experienced while in prison, it’s what prompted him to break out in song and prayer while in chains, “But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.” (Acts 16:25). 

So how exactly do we grab hold of this joy? Because it comes from the Fruit of the Spirit, we already possess it! It’s a matter of remembering that joy is ours to have, we just need to live out the reality of it. When I find myself in a place of bitterness and suffering, I choose joy and I experience rest and peace. When I feel like weeping, I remind myself of the joy that is mine through the Spirit, and I am able to laugh instead. When I am tempted to fear, I remember the Joy of my salvation and I find strength and consolation. 

Joy already belongs to us, we just need to live out the reality of it. When those hard days of discouragement come, and they will come, one of the best weapons we have to combat it is the joy that the Spirit is working in us. Happiness doesn’t have the power that true joy has. Joy has the power to dispel the darkness and pull back the clouds of discouragement, pain and bitterness. All we need to do is recognize what the Spirit has already worked it in us and live lives of joy.