Week of Prayer - Joy - the Foundational Melody of the Kingdom of GodSample

JOY AS A FRUIT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

VERSES

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. (Galatians 5,22)

MEDITATION

Being on a journey with Jesus as his disciple is a wonderful invitation to know him, follow him, and become like him. When Paul speaks about this, he particularly mentions the character of Christ, which he also calls the fruit of the Holy Spirit. (cf. Gal 5,22)

A fruit contains within itself everything needed to multiply, and it makes no special effort to taste sweet or look beautiful; it simply is what it is. This shows us that we don’t have to make any effort for the fruit of the Spirit to be visible. The Spirit who lives in us will show Himself through joy. Yet, it isn’t always easy to be joyful … It would be wrong to say to someone experiencing difficulties, «You are a disciple, so you must rejoice!»

So how can we grow in experiencing and feeling joy? How can we express this joy which is one of the fruits of the Spirit, regardless of our circumstances? It is interesting to return to the image of the fruit to answer these questions. It is not through our efforts, demonstrating willpower, or ignoring challenges that we will feel more joy. On the contrary: our joy will grow when we remind ourselves that it is a fruit of the Spirit and that this fruit will naturally produce joy. We can only have real joy by living with and by the Spirit of God.

At the beginning of our journey as disciples is the «rebirth.» We are «born of water and the Spirit» (John 3). Once we are born of the Spirit and become disciples of Christ, we must continue to walk by the Spirit, resulting in increasing joy.

In our society, which is considered post-Christian, people yearn for happiness and joy and seek joy in many places and in many ways… But this restless search for joy becomes very tiring. By cultivating the joy of the Spirit in our lives, we have a wonderful opportunity to show our fellow human beings a different way to find true joy. We can introduce them to a joy that originates from a different kingdom, the kingdom of God.

REFLECTION

· How can I become more rooted in the Spirit to express more of his fruit?

· How can I show the fruit of the Spirit and be full of joy when I go through difficulties in my life?

PRAYER TOPICS

· That we may become more and more like Jesus in our character.

· For a mature and bountiful fruit, especially regarding joy.

· That the testimony of a fruit of the Spirit may be visible in us and may our lives touch those around us and reveal Christ to them.

SUGGESTED PRAYER

Thank You, Lord, for leading me to walk by Your Spirit daily and renewing my character. Help me to grow the fruit of the Spirit more and more, and let me be a blessing to those around me. Amen.

Yves Bulundwe

Pastor in the church Home, Lausanne