John 15:11-14: “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command.”
Do you ever just feel irritable? You are not sure why, but your patience with people runs short. Your expectations were not met, and you are left disappointed and disenchanted. You feel let down. You don’t understand incompetence – not having the necessary skills to do something successfully which falls into your particular gifted strengths. Have you been there?
Jesus told his disciples in John 15:9 that He loved them and to abide in His love. He further explained that when we obey and follow His commandments, we remain in His love and that is when our joy will be complete. The Greek word “
There is a difference between “happiness” and “having joy.” Happiness is an emotion and has to do with feelings ranging from satisfaction, contentment, to bliss. It is the opposite of sadness. John Piper defines “joy” as, “Christian joy is a good feeling in the soul, produced by the Holy Spirit, as he causes us to see the beauty of Christ in the word and in the world.” The Lord’s Word brings joy and is felt in our soul. Joy is produced by the Holy Spirit – “The fruit of the (Holy) Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, (and) self-control” Galatians 5:22-23.
When things are going well, we feel happy. Maybe elated is the word to use. But pure joy, as we abide in Christ and reflect on His eternal presence with us, transcends the rolling waves and mountains of our circumstances. Everyone has a Goliath in their life from time to time. Whatever gets us the most (the most irritated) can bring us down. You may feel intense pressure. But despite our failures, we can have the joy of the Lord that transcends difficult circumstances as Jesus declared in John 16:24b: “Ask and you shall receive, that your joy may be full.”
In the Old Testament, only Abraham and Moses were called “the friends of God.” Here Jesus calls us as obedient believers His friends. We are commanded to love others entirely as He has loved us, for then we are obeying Christ’s command. Then our joy will be complete – have no missing pieces – be given the finishing touch. Happiness is a choice. May you see and experience the beauty of Jesus Christ in creation, in people, and in your life, that will fill your heart up with joy more fully today. Choose to encourage more than
Listen and watch Give Me Jesus by Danny Gokey (YouTube)