Galatians 5:22 (NIV)
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, JOY, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness.
Joy is the second fruit of the Spirit. The work which the Holy Spirit’s presence within accomplishes is a manifestation of joy!
Joy is a state of cheerfulness, gladness, and calm delight. A calm delight is a constant plateau of well-being. Joy is not up one minute and down the next. Joy is not like the roller coaster ride of accentuated happiness and accentuated sadness. Joy is the confidence of knowing that God has prepared all the paths for your life. Joy is knowing that God has blessed you with everything you need to live a victorious life. Joy is based on what God has already done for you through the finished work of Jesus. Joy is based on knowing who you are in Christ.
Joy is characterized by enthusiasm. The word enthusiasm comes from the Greek adjective, “entheos,” which means “God within.” An enthusiastic person does not need to say much, but you know by their expression, their demeanor, and the aura they portray that they are inspired, motivated, and excited about life. This enthusiasm comes from being full of joy.
Joy is inside of every person who has a re-created spirit. Joy is a characteristic of God. God gave you His life and His nature when He came to make His home in you. One characteristic of God’s nature is joy, and that joy lives inside of you.
Happiness and sadness come from the outside in the form of events and circumstances; joy comes from the inside. Happiness occurs when “good” circumstances happen in your life and sadness occurs when “bad” circumstances happen in your life. Adverse circumstances ruin happiness, but joy transcends the emotional roller coaster of circumstance.
I talk more about how to let the joy out in my book, Beyond Positive Thinking: Success and Motivation in the Scriptures. When you order one or more books this week, I will include a FREE Beyond Positive Thinking companion CD with each book purchase as my way of saying “thanks” for supporting this ministry! Click here to order