What the Fruit? The Fruits of the Spirit – Part 3

“But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!”

-Galatians 5:22-23 NLT

 

Joy is the second Fruit of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5:22-23. The Fruit of the Spirit is, in simple terms, the result of the Holy Spirit’s work in our lives. When we walk with God, we receive these things, and we become more like God by embodying them as well. In my last post, I wrote about love, the first Fruit. Joy is obviously very closely tied to love. In fact, all of the Fruits of the Spirit are interconnected. It would be difficult to show love to others without kindness, goodness, and in some cases, a lot of patience. It would also be impossible to have a life of joy without love!

I think that it is so significant that joy is only second place to love in this list. Because while they may not necessarily be listed in order of importance, I do think that there is a reason for love and joy being at the top. If you have love in your life, it is easier to love others. Since love is the reason for everything, it definitely deserves top priority! But putting joy right behind that may surprise some people. After all, doesn’t God care more about things like self-control, discipline, and following the rules? I would argue that joy is listed way before self-control for a reason. While self-control and pleasing God with our actions are both important things that we should strive for, I believe that those things are more of a means to an end than anything else. Like any loving parent, God disciplines us because he wants what is best for us. He wants us to live good lives and be joyful! I believe that our joy is one of our Father’s biggest concerns.

In my last post, I briefly mentioned the relationship of God to suffering. I want to reiterate the point that I made. God does not cause suffering. He does not send tornadoes, sickness, or loss. Those things are the enemy’s work. In John 10:10, Jesus said that “The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.” (NLT). That thief is Satan and he wants to ruin your life. Seriously. But God doesn’t want that for you! He wants to give you a rich and satisfying life. He wants to give you a joyful life.

Yet God does allow suffering in our lives at times. When he does, he always uses it for the good of those who follow him. Sometimes that is not clear to us; in fact, sometimes it seems completely impossible that God could use some things for the good. But he does, and whether we come to understand the benefit of our suffering in this life or in the next, it will make sense someday. Romans 8:28 says: “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” (NLT). We can hold on to that promise from our loving Father.

All of that being said, I firmly believe that God would much rather see us happy and joyful than sad and hurting. And guess what? We can be happy and joyful so much more than we realize. All we have to do is ask. This truly shocked me when I first came to understand it, so let me say it again; all you have to do is ask. When you have Jesus in your life, you can ask him for anything, and he will give it to you. In John 16:23-25, Jesus said: “In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.” (ESV). One day, I know that I will be with my Lord in paradise, and at that time I will never have to ask him for anything again. But until then, all I have to do is tell him what I need.

Now of course, it is absolutely vital to remember that God is not a genie. He may not instantly give you anything that you wish for. Because while he does want you to have the fullness of joy in your life, he also wants what’s best for you. I have a theory that the two things are actually the same. Sometimes, though, we confuse happiness with joy. Happiness might be the result of having a lot of money, being really popular, and having fun all day, but it would still manage to fade away after not too long. Joy is something deeper, more meaningful, and it’s also everlasting. Joy can never be taken from us, no matter what the circumstances, if we rely on God for it. He will provide for your needs in his perfect way, and he will give you the desires of your heart in his perfect timing.  Psalm 37:4 says “Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” (NIV). We can’t ignore the first part and expect the second. God wants us to delight in him! After all, he delights in us. If we are willing to enter into a loving relationship with the Lord, then he has so much that he wants to bless us with in return.

 

“For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.”

-Zephaniah 3:17 (NLT)

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