Led by the SpiritExemplo

The Power of Joy

You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy. - 1 Peter 1:8

Already angry and rebellious, the young man became increasingly bitter as he endured the horrors of life in a concentration camp in former Yugoslavia. Yet, Miroslav Volf would later write that this angry teenager — who became Volf’s father — discovered God in that concentration camp. How? By watching a fellow prisoner respond to inhumane treatment with joy. Of that man, Volf wrote, “Raging hunger, hard labor, and thousands of daily humiliations neither extinguished the sparkle in his eyes nor made his hands weary of helping others.” Volf’s father came to believe in the loving God reflected through that man’s unquenchable joy.

This joy isn’t the result of a trouble-free life, the absence of tears, or an ability to ignore the struggle and pain we encounter in this broken world. Joy is the condition of a heart indwelt and filled by the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22), for the Spirit can produce joy in our hearts — regardless of the circumstances we may be facing.

That’s why in the context of suffering, Peter, speaking of Jesus, could write, “Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with glorious, inexpressible joy.” (1 Peter 1:8). Knowing Christ and living in His Spirit provides a joy that can only come from Him — a joy that can carry us through life’s most challenging moments.

Bill Crowder

What can rob you of your own joy? How can the indwelling Spirit help you live joyfully even in the worst of times?

Father, You’re the true joy-giver, yet much of my life is lived reacting to the circumstances I face. May Your Spirit strengthen and equip me to know and show that Your joy is my strength.