I Could Use More Joy
During our Tuesday prayer calls, our Pastor does an awesome job of presenting thought-provoking questions that we can discuss as a church family. I recall one particular prayer call when Pastor asked a question causing us to assess our strengths and weaknesses regarding the fruit of the spirit. In case you are not familiar with the fruit of the spirit, this refers to characteristics that are by products of Holy Spirit dwelling in our lives. The Word tells us that the Holy Spirit produces love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control. (Galatians 5:22-23) In essence, Pastor wanted to know which fruit we thought we were strongest in, and which fruit we thought we could use more work in. As I started to think about that question, I realized that of the nine characteristics of the fruit of the spirit, it’s common for people to admit lack of patience or self-control. On the other hand, it’s not as common to hear people say, “I could be more joyful”, or “I could be more loving”, or “I could be more gentle”. In that moment, I realized that I could use more joy in my life.
Joy is generally defined as a feeling of great happiness, delight or pleasure, often evoked by well-being, success, or good fortune. It can also refer to a source or cause of delight or a state of happiness. In essence, joy is a deep sense of contentment and pleasure, often associated with positive experiences and emotions. With that said, what are some things that prevent you from being joyful or cause you to have a lack of joy? Could it be the current dynamic of the most important relationships in your life? Are they contentious or challenging at times? Could it be you feel as though you’re not as accomplished as you thought you’d be at this stage in your life? Could it be that you are focusing too much on the people around you and their accomplishments instead of the blessings in your life? What really causes you to have joy? More importantly, do those things line up with the Word of God?
When we take a deep dive into the Word, joy is referenced in multiple areas. God tells us that when we get into his presence, we will find fullness of joy. (Psalm 16:11) We can enter into His presence by pulling out our Bible or opening our Bible App, and getting started learning God’s perspective on things. We can get into His presence by turning on our favorite worship song and listening deeply to what the song is saying about our father. We can get into His presence by folding our hands, bowing our head, and opening our mouths in prayer.
God tells us that even in challenging seasons, we can look forward to the joy that will come on the other side of our tears. (Psalm 126:5) Even when our challenging seasons are the direct result of our choices and not that of someone else, the Lord will restore us. (Psalm 51:12) Although we often wish the opposite, the Lord never told us that life on this side of Heaven would be easy. The Word tells us know that we WILL encounter trouble, but because of Christ, we can take heart as he has overcome this world. (John 16:33) As we continue to trust in Him, lean on Him, and have faith in Him, we don’t have to try to take on the world. We can rest in Jesus knowing that when it comes to defeating the world, He already did that!
Here are a few more verses rooted in joy from the Word of God:
Psalm 119:11 - Your laws are my treasure; they are my heart’s delight.
Philippians 2:1-2 – So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.
Psalm 71:23 – I will shout for joy and sing your praises, for you have ransomed me.
1 Peter 1:8-9 – You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy. The reward for trusting him will be the salvation of your souls.
Psalm 30:11 – You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing. You have taken aways my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy.
Psalm 94:19 – Whenever my busy thoughts were out of control, the soothing comfort of your presence calmed me down and overwhelmed me with delight.
Isaiah 12:3 – With joy you will drink deeply from the fountain of salvation!
Luke 1:47 – My spirit rejoices in God my savior!
Now that you have been informed of Bible verses that speak to joy, how can you apply them in your daily life? What are some things that you can do to intentionally seek the joy that the Lord has to offer? If you don’t know Jesus as your Lord and Savior, the first thing you can do is surrender your life to Him. (Romans 10:9) Upon doing so, you are automatically admitted into His family, and you are protected and covered by him. You are also given a gift – The Holy Spirit. As The Holy Spirit begins to dwell in you, and learning more and more about the nature of Jesus becomes your priority, the things that mattered previously (causing you to be everything except joyful) will surely begin to fade.
Make it a point to seek the word of God, day in and day out. (Joshua 1:8) Take your walk with Jesus seriously. Begin to develop a prayer life that you take seriously. (1 Peter 4:7) As the character of Jesus begins to take root in your life, you will begin to strive to look like him on the inside and on the outside. I truly believe that as you are intentional about seeking opportunities to be kind, thoughtful, and gentle, you will be blessed with joy. When you pay for someone’s meal and they don’t expect it, there is joy in that. When you know that you are pouring your heart and soul into something that God spoke over your life, He often blesses you with allowing you to see the fruit of that Labor! The opportunities to choose joy are endless!!!
He’s such a great God. Make a decision today to look to the Lord for your joy instead of seeking joy in things and other people. Jesus is the true center of our joy. He alone is what truly matters.
References
Biblica, Inc. (1984, 2011). The Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Harper Collins Publishers.
Crossway. (2001). The ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version). Good News Publishers.
Definition of Joy. (2025, May 10). Retrieved from Google: https://www.google.com/search?q=definition+of+joy&rlz=1C1GCEA_enUS1097US1097&oq=definition+of+joy&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyDggAEEUYORhGGPkBGIAEMgcIARAAGIAEMgcIAhAAGIAEMgcIAxAAGIAEMgcIBBAAGIAEMgcIBRAAGIAEMgcIBhAAGIAEMgcIBxAAGIAEMgcICBAAGIAEMgcICRAAGIAE0gEINDAwM
The Passion Translation. (2017, 2018, & 2020). Passion & Fire Ministries.
Tyndale House Foundation. (1996, 2004, 2015). Holy Bible, New Living Translation. Carol Stream, Illinois. All rights reserved.: Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers.
Joy is generally defined as a feeling of great happiness, delight or pleasure, often evoked by well-being, success, or good fortune. It can also refer to a source or cause of delight or a state of happiness. In essence, joy is a deep sense of contentment and pleasure, often associated with positive experiences and emotions. With that said, what are some things that prevent you from being joyful or cause you to have a lack of joy? Could it be the current dynamic of the most important relationships in your life? Are they contentious or challenging at times? Could it be you feel as though you’re not as accomplished as you thought you’d be at this stage in your life? Could it be that you are focusing too much on the people around you and their accomplishments instead of the blessings in your life? What really causes you to have joy? More importantly, do those things line up with the Word of God?
When we take a deep dive into the Word, joy is referenced in multiple areas. God tells us that when we get into his presence, we will find fullness of joy. (Psalm 16:11) We can enter into His presence by pulling out our Bible or opening our Bible App, and getting started learning God’s perspective on things. We can get into His presence by turning on our favorite worship song and listening deeply to what the song is saying about our father. We can get into His presence by folding our hands, bowing our head, and opening our mouths in prayer.
God tells us that even in challenging seasons, we can look forward to the joy that will come on the other side of our tears. (Psalm 126:5) Even when our challenging seasons are the direct result of our choices and not that of someone else, the Lord will restore us. (Psalm 51:12) Although we often wish the opposite, the Lord never told us that life on this side of Heaven would be easy. The Word tells us know that we WILL encounter trouble, but because of Christ, we can take heart as he has overcome this world. (John 16:33) As we continue to trust in Him, lean on Him, and have faith in Him, we don’t have to try to take on the world. We can rest in Jesus knowing that when it comes to defeating the world, He already did that!
Here are a few more verses rooted in joy from the Word of God:
Psalm 119:11 - Your laws are my treasure; they are my heart’s delight.
Philippians 2:1-2 – So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.
Psalm 71:23 – I will shout for joy and sing your praises, for you have ransomed me.
1 Peter 1:8-9 – You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy. The reward for trusting him will be the salvation of your souls.
Psalm 30:11 – You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing. You have taken aways my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy.
Psalm 94:19 – Whenever my busy thoughts were out of control, the soothing comfort of your presence calmed me down and overwhelmed me with delight.
Isaiah 12:3 – With joy you will drink deeply from the fountain of salvation!
Luke 1:47 – My spirit rejoices in God my savior!
Now that you have been informed of Bible verses that speak to joy, how can you apply them in your daily life? What are some things that you can do to intentionally seek the joy that the Lord has to offer? If you don’t know Jesus as your Lord and Savior, the first thing you can do is surrender your life to Him. (Romans 10:9) Upon doing so, you are automatically admitted into His family, and you are protected and covered by him. You are also given a gift – The Holy Spirit. As The Holy Spirit begins to dwell in you, and learning more and more about the nature of Jesus becomes your priority, the things that mattered previously (causing you to be everything except joyful) will surely begin to fade.
Make it a point to seek the word of God, day in and day out. (Joshua 1:8) Take your walk with Jesus seriously. Begin to develop a prayer life that you take seriously. (1 Peter 4:7) As the character of Jesus begins to take root in your life, you will begin to strive to look like him on the inside and on the outside. I truly believe that as you are intentional about seeking opportunities to be kind, thoughtful, and gentle, you will be blessed with joy. When you pay for someone’s meal and they don’t expect it, there is joy in that. When you know that you are pouring your heart and soul into something that God spoke over your life, He often blesses you with allowing you to see the fruit of that Labor! The opportunities to choose joy are endless!!!
He’s such a great God. Make a decision today to look to the Lord for your joy instead of seeking joy in things and other people. Jesus is the true center of our joy. He alone is what truly matters.
References
Biblica, Inc. (1984, 2011). The Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Harper Collins Publishers.
Crossway. (2001). The ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version). Good News Publishers.
Definition of Joy. (2025, May 10). Retrieved from Google: https://www.google.com/search?q=definition+of+joy&rlz=1C1GCEA_enUS1097US1097&oq=definition+of+joy&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyDggAEEUYORhGGPkBGIAEMgcIARAAGIAEMgcIAhAAGIAEMgcIAxAAGIAEMgcIBBAAGIAEMgcIBRAAGIAEMgcIBhAAGIAEMgcIBxAAGIAEMgcICBAAGIAEMgcICRAAGIAE0gEINDAwM
The Passion Translation. (2017, 2018, & 2020). Passion & Fire Ministries.
Tyndale House Foundation. (1996, 2004, 2015). Holy Bible, New Living Translation. Carol Stream, Illinois. All rights reserved.: Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers.
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