Fruit of the Spirit: Joy
Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law. (HCSB)
How in the world do we have Joy in the midst of chaos, heartache, fear, hatred, wars, and a worldwide pandemic? There is an overload of sadness and hatred in our world.
I’m not even going to pretend to know or relate to the heartache and misery people have gone through or are currently going through.
I do know that with the Holy Spirit, we, His children can and are filled with His Joy. It’s unexplainable, it’s a miracle, it is mind blowing!
Don’t take my word for it. The Bible says so! God says so! It does not say all our problems will go away. But it does say we will be filled with Joy. Joy only that can be explained by the filling of the Holy Spirit.
I have experienced Joy, in a life-threatening experience. It is beyond amazing! I have experienced Joy in everyday living, while worshiping, and during mourning.
But, what I want to share in this blog, is how I witnessed Joy in a fellow believer. How, I saw and felt Joy that only can be explained by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
By sharing this story, I hope to encourage those that struggle with Joy, to see how it affects those around us. And to encourage those who need to let the Joy fill their souls.
Watching a loved one die is never a happy experience. I’ve personally had the experience, a couple of times. One was in turmoil and panic, the other in peace and Joy. My mother-in-law, my mentor, continued teaching me until the end. Actually, that’s not entirely true. She continues to teach me even today, through memories and lessons in my life that she had no idea how God used her. She taught me how to live, how to love, how to pray, and how to enjoy life. She taught me how to die. She passed quietly and peacefully with Joy. Even though she didn’t have the strength to speak, the Joy and peace radiated out of her. How can anybody explain that kind of Joy? Is that type of Joy man made? Forced? Fake? No, that is the Holy Spirit kind of Joy. That is the Fruit of the Spirit.
Although having Joy is a gift from God to us, it’s also another way for others to see just how Amazing and Awesome our God is. When people see Joy they notice. Joy that is not fake and forced touches people in all walks of life. Even if a person will not acknowledge God, that person is affected positively by Joy. When entering a room with somebody who radiates Joy, a person cannot help but to be able to tell the difference.
Joy does not mean happy. Joy does not mean all is going great. Joy, the Fruit of the Spirit kind of Joy is overflowing from inside out and covers everything.
Real genuine Joy. Letting go, letting the Holy Spirit Fill Us. Let’s let go and let the Holy Spirit flow Genuine Joy through us. Do not try, do not force, do not pretend, just let.
“A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones.”