Fruits Of The Spirit- Joy

[Starise]

Maybe I should move these to the study area as it seems the last two died and went top page 2 with almost no comments.

I have already covered a few of the other traits we as believers should possess. I was going to take one at a time and examine each in more detail.

This next one- JOY might be rather hard for an introvert to grasp since I associate it with an outward expression that comes from deep within.

The simple definition of the word is-

A feeling of great pleasure and happiness. I have a confession to make here. I am often more of an Eyore than a Tigger. It seems the things that make me happy are not the things I am called to do very often. I sometimes scratch my head and ask myself, Fun? What's that?

Probably the best example of Joy I can find is my wife. Her name means youthful. For the most part she really has that kind of personality. I guess you could say we are opposites. I have noticed that when we talk to someone, their eyes will go to her first. I mean I know she is the better looking of the two of us, but I also think it has a lot to do with her personality. I do sometimes feel like that tag along that had to be there sometimes though. The last study, peace, I can handle that one since I can remain pretty even keel no matter what. The house is burning down? Ok, I'll get a hose and call the fire company and manage to do it with relative calm. I mean, I hope that never happens but you get the idea. At wedding parties I'm the guy sitting on the sidelines. The last thing I want to do is get on the floor and shake myself around like that...so yeah, I guess I'm boring. I don't like loud people or loud noises. I especially don't like loud drunk people combined with loud noises, but we are going to a wedding at the end of next week so I'll have to cope somehow.

Of all the fruits, joy is probably my hardest one to pull off. I mean, the world is not changing for the better lately. Maybe this is why we are told

" Joy comes in the morning". Maybe joy is a future fruit? I want to have it, but you can't just make it happen. It should happen as a result of an inner joy.

Thoughts?

[Sower]

1 hour ago, Starise said:

Thoughts?

I have similar problem, even understanding. I think it is what I feel when a catastrophe has passed.
Somehow joy seems to be the flip side of fear/sorrow, or something like that.
Joy comes in the morning. After sleep, when the good ole sun rises.  Darkness to light! After the trouble has gone.
Or even when the problem is with me but the end is near, seeing the conclusion eminent, a flood of relief, joy.
Or something like that. That feeling of "great pleasure and happiness" you mentioned,
 mixed with the relief of the impending trouble, then, then it turns to joy.
Like I hear there was a really bad car wreck my son was involved in, but when I get there,
I see him waving at me he's OK.   Sure, great pleasure and happiness, but oh the joy...(relief)

PS, edit

Maybe the lack of participation is that most of us do not really know how to explain Joy?

[R. Hartono]

Joy and sadness is inherent in the hearts of human under enslavement of sins.

[Desopixi Seilynam]

It's a super power you've already been given and need to believe that you have.

You have all of the 9 super powers, and must use them all to feel them all.

 

[Starise]

10 hours ago, Sower said:

I have similar problem, even understanding. I think it is what I feel when a catastrophe has passed.
Somehow joy seems to be the flip side of fear/sorrow, or something like that.
Joy comes in the morning. After sleep, when the good ole sun rises.  Darkness to light! After the trouble has gone.
Or even when the problem is with me but the end is near, seeing the conclusion eminent, a flood of relief, joy.
Or something like that. That feeling of "great pleasure and happiness" you mentioned,
 mixed with the relief of the impending trouble, then, then it turns to joy.
Like I hear there was a really bad car wreck my son was involved in, but when I get there,
I see him waving at me he's OK.   Sure, great pleasure and happiness, but oh the joy...(relief)

PS, edit

Maybe the lack of participation is that most of us do not really know how to explain Joy?

Thanks for your reply @Sower I had also thought that fruit isn't something that happens right away. Growing fruit is a process. Since this is a spiritual fruit, it needs to ripen. There will come a day, when all troubles will go away. During that time it will be impossible NOT to have joy. Life here on earth is chock full of temptations to worry and reasons to look at the glass as half empty rather than half full.

For me joy is that feeling I get when it seems everything is lined up, when a load is lifted. I suspect if there were no problems more people would experience joy. Focusing on the good can help. If we disassociate from the bad though, we are not dealing with it in a healthy way IMO. Sort of like the guy who has an overdue electric bill, can't afford to pay it and doesn't know where the money is coming from, so instead of finding a workable solution he either goes out and buys something else on the credit card as a form of denial or he goes and gets drunk to forget his woes. Same reason many people probably go on medications that numb them to reality.

The world can be an overwhelming place and I think we will see many more lose balance as time goes on. I am reminded of the old hymn, " Blessed Assurance" . If we could think like the writer of this hymn maybe all of our troubles would seem small in comparison to what we know awaits us all.

Blessed Assurance

Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!
Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God
Born of his Spirit, washed in His blood

This is my story, this is my song
Praising my Savior all the day long
This is my story, this is my song
Praising my Savior all the day long

Perfect submission, perfect delight
Visions of rapture now burst on my sight
Angels descending bring from above
Echoes of mercy, whispers of love

This is my story, this is my song
Praising my Savior all the day long
This is my story, this is my song
Praising my Savior all the day long
Praising my Savior all the day long

Possibly working our "praise muscles" helps.

We are-

-Children of the king, called sons and daughters

-We are loved

-We are cared for

-Assured salvation 

-We will leave this old earth one day to experience a place we can't even begin to imagine in it's beauty and glory

-We have direct access to Jesus through prayers and petitions

-We will never be forgotten or discarded

-One day we will no longer have these sin natures

-Every day is a day to grow closer to God and find something to do for the kingdom

-The evil God of this world was really defeated 2000 years ago, so no matter how much he snarls at us or pretends to have the upper hand he has lost. He cannot have the victory over us.

 

 

[Dennis1209]

You almost alluded to it. For a Sunday School lesson the other day, I needed to look up the difference between joy and happiness and see if they were synonymous with our study. I need not define both definitions, but there are differences, as you point out.

Briefly, happiness seems to be a temporary internal compartmentalized condition contained within. Joy is primarily an inner manifestation expressed outwardly that does not soon disappear if that makes any sense. Joy sometimes cannot be contained and can be a spiritual condition expressed outwardly.

Personal examples: Things like buying a new bass boat or truck to haul it gave me temporary happiness. They aged, withered, and were no longer useful but now a burden. Back in the day, getting drunk, shaking my booty, and making a fool of myself on the dance floor was fun and gave me temporary happiness. Until the following day with a hangover, listening to what I did that night from the wife with my head pounding (throb, throb, throb, throb). Where did that happiness go? Rinse and repeat.

My joy in the Lord far exceeds temporary happiness, and it is a condition of gratitude for what the Lord did for me and my eternal destiny. Every morning when I wake up, yes, sir, that joy and appreciation are still there. That joy wants to show outside as light and tell someone how they can have it also.

That happiness with a brand-new bass boat immediately fades when you pull up to a bigger, better, faster, more expensive bass boat. Now when I pull up to a new car in my old jalopy and see a sticker or such that says, “honk if you love Jesus,” I have joy knowing they are a brother or sister.

Luke 15:7 I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.

[Space_Karen]

14 hours ago, Starise said:

" Joy comes in the morning". Maybe joy is a future fruit? I want to have it, but you can't just make it happen. It should happen as a result of an inner joy.

 

I have to remind myself of the proper context of circumstances to be thankful and appreciative for people and things. 

Being thankful and having a good mindset take effort, for those who haven't been raised and guided to acknowledge it. I see some children who are raised by their parents to be thankful and appreciate things from a young age. I guess it comes naturally to them to always have that mentality.

Think of being a child and being excited to see friends in school. Versus being an adult and thinking its too early to be seeing these same faces again. How does that change happen? I think its an interesting question to consider.

Edited November 7, 2022 by Space_Karen

[steve morrow]

WORTHY  CHRISTIAN  FORUM ???

 

PSALM 51:12   --restore unto me  THE  JOY  of thy salvation  ---  and uphold me with your free spirit--

JEREMIAH 15:16  thy words were found and I did eat them  --and thy word was unto me the  --THE  JOY--  and  REJOICING  of mine heart  --for I am called by thy name  O LORD  GOD  of hosts 

ROMANS 14:17  for the kingdom of  GOD  is not meat and drink but  --righteousness and peace and joy in the holy spirit--

 

ISAIAH 32:17  --and  THE  WORK  OF  RIGHTEOUSNESS-- shall be peace -- and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance forever

PROVERBS 12:17 he that speaketh truth --showeth  forth  righteousness-- but a false witness deceit

 

PROVERBS 12:20  deceit is in the heart of them that imagine evil   --BUT  TO  THE  COUNSELLORS  OF  PEACE  IS  JOY--

 

LOVING  THE  LORD  JESUS  CHRIST 

[Sower]

12 hours ago, Starise said:

The world can be an overwhelming place and I think we will see many more lose balance as time goes on. I am reminded of the old hymn, " Blessed Assurance"

I remember that hymn very well, Starise. About 30+ yrs ago a friend who was to eventually become my mentor and I  traveled every week to another town where we attended a bible study called men's "Bible Study Fellowship" It is an international bible study held locally every week, and the teachers had to meet on Saturday to go over each weekly lesson. A very serious bible study, almost like college, taking five years to complete I think.

Before each weekly study we went into chapel and had a brief word from the head man and then we sung that hymn, " Blessed Assurance". It was an awesome thing to hear over a hundred men sing that hymn as loud as we could, and only men's voices. Whenever I hear it I always remember those days we all sang it together. Thanks for reminding me again.....good memories.

This is my story, this is my song
Praising my Savior all the day long...

[JohnR7]

On 11/6/2022 at 8:33 PM, Starise said:

Of all the fruits, joy is probably my hardest one to pull off.

Why is that? If we rejoice in the Lord, we will be filled with Joy. It is when we grumble and complain with a negative attitude, then we have problems. Even the LOA people talk about how important it is to be positive and avoid being negative. 

There may be suffering and even misery, but when we see God's plan and purpose of redemption, we can rejoice and have joy in Him no matter what our circumstances are. 

On 11/6/2022 at 8:33 PM, Starise said:

I guess you could say we are opposites.

That is the way God pairs people up. Even the angels. He puts together opposites. Often with people that we emulate and want to become like them. So we can learn from each other and grow in wisdom, knowledge and understanding.