A Fruitful LifeSample

Merriam-Webster defines Joy as a source or cause of delight.

Yet, when viewing joy through a spiritual lens, we see that true joy comes from experiencing God’s love, wisdom, and goodness.

This everlasting joy cannot be faked, nor can it be duplicated. God’s joy is unrivaled, and provides us with the encouragement needed during difficult times within our lives.

Here are four essentials to understanding, receiving, and keeping the joy of the Lord:

1. Joy starts with accepting Christ.

Jesus Christ is our source of delight. Accepting Christ as our savior provides us with an internal assurance that no matter what we experience, He is with us. Regardless of our circumstances, regardless of our mistakes, He doesn’t give up on us.

2. We keep our joy when we abide in Him.

To accept Christ as your savior isn’t a one-time action, but the start to a lifelong relationship — to follow the path that He has laid out before us, and to keep His commandments and, in turn, abide in His love. Jesus states this directly in John, explaining that by abiding in Him, His joy will be within us.

3. He causes our joy to become full.

Christ wants us to live a life in which our joy is abundant and constant. He knows that we will go through difficulties within our life, but He has also provided us with the ability to rely on this joy to get us through difficult moments. Our joy is full, and our cup runs over when we abide in Him.

4. Our joy overflows, pouring into those around us.

Joy is contagious. When you walk into a room full of smiling, laughing, happy people, you can’t help but to return this smile and feel better than you did before you entered the room. The same is true for the joy of the Lord. By displaying the joy that God has given us, we are acting as tools for which God provides joy to those around us. The everlasting joy isn’t just for some of us, it’s for all of us!

These four joy essentials, when followed, allow us to have an inner joy that cannot be robbed from us.

We carry this joy with us in the face of adversity, knowing that it has been instilled within us by God, and shared with us by all who are near.

- Diana Villa