Fruits Of The Spirit- Joy

[JohnR7]

16 minutes ago, Sower said:

almost like college,

Sometimes Bible college is just a lecture. They will teach a book. But my teacher training classes did not even have a book and there was a lot of homework. We were the ones that taught a lot of the class because we needed experience to get up in front of people. We mostly studied Jesus because He was the greatest teacher that ever lived. 

We use to have home churches and the teaching part was very short. It was mostly a fellowship and a chance for people to talk about the problems they were having, so we could pray for each other and help each other out. It became family: brothers, sister, mothers, fathers, sons & daughters. 

[Starise]

On 11/7/2022 at 9:20 AM, Dennis1209 said:

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.

I appreciate your words on this @Dennis1209. I believe this is an important thing to bring out. The difference between happiness and joy. Now I think we are happy when we are joyful, but not necessarily joyful when we are happy. Maybe you have read threads where they start out- Happiness is...and then you are to give your answer. I can't repeat some of the things I have read on that because they clearly come from a fleshly perspective, yet other times they are good examples of happiness.

Since I'm not especially fond of my job right now, I like Saturdays because I don't have to go in that day and I can make my own schedule. I just have a good feeling waking up knowing I am not obligated to be 30 miles away in one hour and a half. Just the slowing down helps. The freedom that I am not obligated feels good inside. I have a similar feeling when I know I can stay up late and it won't affect me the next day because I don't have to worry about waking up early. Never mind I probably work HARDER on Saturday. That isn't the point. The point is I did something I wanted to do .vs something someone else wanted me to do or something I did for an income. I am not really a creature of habit.

New things are similar. I guess we all get pleasure when we get new things. I did a lot of homework on a new car and I'm excited for it to arrive, but I know the new will soon wear off and it will just be another thing I have and use. Granted I like to have the tools to accomplish tasks, but I can become too focused on ways of doing things and the tools to do them that It becomes like a hobby sometimes. Looking at item A .vs item B and learning EVERYTHING there is to know about each one. I think my mind likes to work on things like that for some reason. And no matter what it is, there will be a better one later. I have finally realized that I can still use the one I have just fine.

Joy OTOH has zero to do with physical accommodation of any kind and is more like a trait we believers should have or be developing. Does not depend on the external. I see it more as the assurance of our position in Christ. I think the more we begin to realize that, the more we can develop true joy. Joy is in the KNOWING who we are in Christ. That realization brings us a sense of joy. There is NOTHING today that the Lord and I can't handle, and NOTHING can take away our future which is so bright we need sun glasses to see it. There are no problems, only temporary obstacles. Even at death, we are entering our best life ever!

 

 

 

[Starise]

On 11/7/2022 at 10:35 AM, Space_Karen said:

 

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.

The right kind of thinking is important for sure. We need to make that conscious effort to direct our minds to the best places. This can be difficult for someone who is a problem solver because we look at the problems in order to solve them, so we aren't looking for the good stuff, we are looking at problems....and often the solutions have their own sets of problems. Part of living on this old sinful inefficient planet right now. 

13 hours ago, JohnR7 said:

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. 

Just being transparent here. It isn't one of my stronger things to do. I know I need to develop those praise muscles some more. I have found the best times to be thankful in my life have been the times when the Lord rips everything else away. Maybe like the guy whose house is demolished by a tornado. He can sit there and think, " I don't need to worry about any of it any more thank God". Some people have actually gone nuts and walked away from everything. I know of one man who did that. He went temporarily bonkers and just walked away. They found him a few months later. People walk away from family, from jobs, from responsibilities, they have just had enough. 

I am nowhere near that conclusion in my own life, but TBH I think I might like being a hermit, only God keeps pulling me out of that. Want a nap? The phone rings or my neighbor decides he is going to mow. Want an afternoon off? My wife remembers something I was supposed to do. Want to do anything? Someone is going to rain on that party somehow.- This is Eyore talking again. lol. It does happen with regularity though. No getting around it.

[JohnR7]

4 hours ago, Starise said:

Just being transparent here.

Jesus was transparent about not wanting to go to Calvary. 

Hebrew 12

2Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. 4In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.

[Dennis1209]

5 hours ago, Starise said:

I appreciate your words on this @Dennis1209. I believe this is an important thing to bring out. The difference between happiness and joy. Now I think we are happy when we are joyful, but not necessarily joyful when we are happy. Maybe you have read threads where they start out- Happiness is...and then you are to give your answer. I can't repeat some of the things I have read on that because they clearly come from a fleshly perspective, yet other times they are good examples of happiness.

Since I'm not especially fond of my job right now, I like Saturdays because I don't have to go in that day and I can make my own schedule. I just have a good feeling waking up knowing I am not obligated to be 30 miles away in one hour and a half. Just the slowing down helps. The freedom that I am not obligated feels good inside. I have a similar feeling when I know I can stay up late and it won't affect me the next day because I don't have to worry about waking up early. Never mind I probably work HARDER on Saturday. That isn't the point. The point is I did something I wanted to do .vs something someone else wanted me to do or something I did for an income. I am not really a creature of habit.

New things are similar. I guess we all get pleasure when we get new things. I did a lot of homework on a new car and I'm excited for it to arrive, but I know the new will soon wear off and it will just be another thing I have and use. Granted I like to have the tools to accomplish tasks, but I can become too focused on ways of doing things and the tools to do them that It becomes like a hobby sometimes. Looking at item A .vs item B and learning EVERYTHING there is to know about each one. I think my mind likes to work on things like that for some reason. And no matter what it is, there will be a better one later. I have finally realized that I can still use the one I have just fine.

Joy OTOH has zero to do with physical accommodation of any kind and is more like a trait we believers should have or be developing. Does not depend on the external. I see it more as the assurance of our position in Christ. I think the more we begin to realize that, the more we can develop true joy. Joy is in the KNOWING who we are in Christ. That realization brings us a sense of joy. There is NOTHING today that the Lord and I can't handle, and NOTHING can take away our future which is so bright we need sun glasses to see it. There are no problems, only temporary obstacles. Even at death, we are entering our best life ever!

 

 

 

To summarize and close.

For decades I was not content or appreciative of what I was blessed with; I wanted more and better. Praise the Lord, all that selfishness changed. I am more than content that the Lord meets all my needs and then some.

Looking forward to affording a new Corvette, winning the lottery, boy toys, senseless. Looking forward to spending eternity with my Lord and Savior; priceless. That is an inner and outward joy to get excited and shout about. Real lasting joy, with no rust, moth, thieves, or being taxed to death. 😊