Joy ties right in with love. If we do not love, we cannot have real joy. If we love God and others more than ourselves, we will know Joy. Look at what Jesus said in John 15:9-11, “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.” Here Jesus emphasises the truth that our joy comes from loving. He said we abide in His love by keeping His commandments, and His commandment is to love. That produces true and lasting joy.
Our joy comes from obeying God. Jesus said, when praying to our Heavenly Father in John 17:13, “…these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves.” And the Apostle John, wrote in 1 John 1:4, “These things we write, so that our joy may be made complete.” We never read of Jesus complaining or murmuring because of what He endured while on this earth, because He knew the real Joy of His Father. Jesus loved others enough to even DIE for them, and He obeyed His Father’s will – from those actions comes Joy. Jesus’ life was consumed with having that REAL joy.
Look at Hebrews 12:1-2, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” Note how the passage tells us “…who FOR THE JOY that was set before him endured the cross….” He died on the cross because of His love for the world, but also to know the JOY of pleasing His Father! True joy like that can NEVER be known unless we endeavor to whole-heartedly obey God and love others!
Jesus knew the true majesty and power of the His Father, therefore He had joy. Many times we forget that we serve such a wonderful and powerful Master, a God Who controls all things. Charles Spurgeon once said, “You cannot glorify God better than by a calm, joyous life. Let the world know that you serve a good Master!”
You desire joy in your life? Love and obey God and love others!