Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13 (NKJV).
Joy and happiness can be present in our lives, but each have a different meaning. Happiness is based on things going well around us, i.e. the material things. But Joy is deeper than having things or perfect circumstances, true joy is something you have in whatever circumstance you are in. A part of the Fruit of the Spirit is joy. This joy is an attitude of the heart. Is it difficult to feel joy in our struggles and the trials of life? Yes, would be the answer.
The world’s view of joy is power, appearance, wealth, fame and a picture perfect life. However, if we want to have God’s joy, we need to learn to be thankful in whatever situation we find ourselves. Because, we can easily lose our joy when we know the right thing to do and don’t do it. The bible tell us that: “the joy of the Lord is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10), not the joy of your circumstances. Paul reminds us that as we ‘rejoice’ it is a protection to keep our joy (Gal. 5:22-23), because if we lose our joy, then we lose our strength.
The bible also tells us that we will have trails and tribulations, but we should not rejoice in the trails themselves, but keeping our joy during the struggles is the key. Why? Because Satan seeks to steal our joy. “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” John 10:10
When we keep our joy, it becomes easier to get through the trails, because we may have trouble on the outside, but we can have joy on the inside. Therefore, joy is a choice, it is not an emotion, or a feeling, instead it an attitude, especially when things are not going right. God is not asking us to deny the realities of life, or that we will not have some ups and downs. But when we keep our joy, it becomes easier to get through our frustrations, and not to pull away when life becomes overwhelming or difficult. Joy is the fruit of the Spirit that results from us knowing, and serving God in every situation.
If we have lost our joy, we need to examine the reason why, then correct it. The word joy is mentioned 200 times in the bible. When we choose to show gratitude everyday, and in every situation, if we just look around and count our blessings for what God has done (James 1:2-4), and brought us through, then we are able to stay joyful in whatever comes our way. With joy there is hope!
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