Cultivating
the Fruit of Joy
If you were to look up the
word joy
in Webster’s Dictionary you would find these definitions. 1
joy 1: the emotion evoked by
well-being, success, or good fortune or by the prospect of possessing what one
desires, 2: a state of happiness or
felicity, 3: a source or cause of
delight 2 joy to experience great pleasure or delight. Other words that convey the meaning of joy
are: contentment, satisfaction, fulfillment, and bliss.
Typically when people talk
about having joy (or not having joy) they will refer to their circumstances. If their circumstances are favorable then
they will claim to have joy. If their
circumstances are not favorable then they will often claim to be struggling
with their joy. I am not here saying that it is wrong to have
joy in our circumstances. It is ok to
take pleasure in a job, a relationship, a hobby, buying a brand new car, or
living in a nice home. I find joy in
many things such as: helping others find peace and freedom in my practice as a
counselor, reading a good book, playing ice-hockey, anything outdoors, and spending
time with my family. I am also not saying that it is wrong to feel down
or anxious when we are going through a tough situation. However, when
it comes to cultivating the fruit of joy the question to consider is, “Can we still
have joy even when our circumstances are not favorable?”
Probably the best
definition to ponder above is 1 joy 3: a source or cause of delight. An
important question for all of us to personally address is, “What is the source
or cause of my joy?” Is my joy dependent
on my circumstances, or is my joy ultimately founded on something else. In the end, whatever you base your joy on
will be the determining factor of whether you have joy or not. A word that is closely related to joy is
contentment. In his letter to the
Philippians the apostle Paul writes of himself, “I have learned to be content
whatever the circumstances. I know what
it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in
any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty
or in want.” (Philippians 4:11-12)
Here we see the apostle Paul making a claim that his circumstances have
no ultimate bearing on his joy and contentment in life. Paul informs us that he has learned the
‘secret’ of being joyous (internally at peace) and content whatever
circumstances he might find himself in.
This does not mean that Paul never had a bad day or got frustrated, but
that nothing could rob him of the inner sense of contentment and joy that he
experienced in life.
James, the brother of
Jesus, writes that we should, “Consider
it pure joy whenever you face trials
of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops
perseverance. Perseverance must finish
its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”
(James 1:2-4) Here James is telling us
that we should actually find joy in the trails that we face in life. Not many (including me) will tell you that
they are experiencing tremendous joy when they are in the middle of a
challenging situation in life. We are
usually prone to despair and depression when we face trails. However, what James is referring to here is
that trials serve the purpose of sharpening our character and working out
spiritual maturity in our lives, which has eternal value. Whatever we might have here on earth is
temporal. In the end it will not
last. One day when we all come to the
end of our lives and stand before God, the only thing we will take with us is our
character and what has flowed out of it here on earth.
So what is the fruit of
joy that we are called to cultivate? Firstly,
true joy is not living in a perpetual
state of feeling ecstatic and happy. We
live in a fallen world where things are bound to go wrong and affect our moods
and, at times, our outlook on life. Secondly,
having true joy does not mean that we
never feel downcast or disheartened over our circumstances in life. The truth is sadness is a god given emotion
and at times an appropriate response to our circumstances. Experiencing true joy is one that learns to be satisfied and content in
all circumstances of life. Cultivating
this kind of joy is significantly linked to growing in spiritual maturity and
maintaining two foundational principles in life.
1. Having a
personal relationship with the God who is, and trusting in him for all your
circumstances and very life itself. In Proverbs 3:5-6 we read, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and
lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him and he
will make your paths straight.”
Elsewhere in Psalm 9:10 we read, “Those
who know your name will trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those
who seek you.” This knowledge of God
implies more than a simple intellectual assent.
This kind of knowledge is an intimate knowledge that personally
experiences God’s nature and character in its fullness. It is a heartfelt knowledge that truly
believes and embraces what God says concerning his people, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5)
The
more we learn to trust in God’s sovereignty and providence over our lives the
more we can have peace and joy in the midst of any circumstance we face,
knowing that an omnipotent (all powerful), omniscient (all knowing) and
omnipresent (universal) God is in the midst of it. With God there is no ‘comedy of errors.’ Everything that comes our way has a purpose
and God is working out his eternal plan for our life, even if we cannot even begin
to understand it. Some of the most
difficult circumstances that I have personally faced have become the most positive
and monumental experiences of my life. This
is why the apostle Paul so confidently asserts, “And we know that in all things
God works out for the good of those who love him, who have been called
according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28)
Right
off the heels of having a personal and intimate relationship with God is:
2. Maintaining
an eternal perspective and focus on life. To have an eternal perspective
means that we spend more time living for and thinking about the life to come rather
than our existence here on earth. I
would venture to say that most of us spend about 2% (or less) of our time
thinking about eternity, and 98% (or more) of our time worrying and fretting
over the things of this world. Being
overly obsessed with our lives, our current circumstances, and our future will
certainly rob us of joy and contentment here on earth. Keeping our hearts and minds focused on
eternity and the bigger picture of life will enable us to find joy and
contentment in whatever comes our way.
Everything we face here on earth has eternal value according to God's perfect plan if we are willing to
look for it.
In
his second letter to the Corinthians, when the apostle Paul writes about
experiencing severe persecution and suffering he has this to say, “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet
inwardly we are being renewed day by day.
For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal
glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but
on what is unseen. For what is seen is
temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” (II Corinthians 4:16-18) This I am convinced was a significant factor
in Paul’s ‘secret’ of being content.
Paul was not obsessed with this world, his circumstances in this world,
or what this world had to offer. Paul
was more obsessed with living out his life for the glory of God, the benefit of
others, and one day spending eternity with God.
Concerning
our relatively short time here on earth Jesus encourages us, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on
earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in
heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in
and steal. For where your treasure is,
there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:19-22) What Jesus is not saying here is that it is wrong to have nice things here on
earth, or that material things are evil and should be avoided. What Jesus is saying is that our time here on earth is relatively short and
that we would do better to be living for eternity rather than simply for what
this world has to offer. It seems that
the more we have the more we worry about maintaining what we have and the less
we are satisfied with what we have.
I
will close with the question I suggested we all ponder earlier, “What is the source or cause of my joy?” The only way to cultivate the fruit of joy is
to learn contentment in all of our
circumstances in life, and learn to put our hope and trust in God who is
greater than our very life and any circumstance we may face.
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