His Joy!

I recently asked the people in a class I was teaching at Alaska Bible College, “what brings you joy?” I prefaced it by saying, “I am not asking for a “biblical” response.” I was looking for the first ideas that came to mind that the students enjoyed. What comes to your mind when you think about, “what brings me joy?” The answers I received ranged from summiting a mountain and walking along the ridge to using a skill that fixed a problem well.

What was interesting to me is that many of the responses included the joy of relationships with family, friends and the community. When talking about “joy” we do need to distinguish it from “happiness.” One of the students insightfully brought this need to define up when he was responding.

Joy is different from happiness though the emotional feeling may be similar. Happiness is most often connected to our “happenings.” If our circumstances are positive, we experience a sense of happiness.

If our circumstances are negative, we experience a sense of sadness. Joy is an experience we can embrace as a lifestyle regardless of our circumstances. As believers it is something that the Holy Spirit gives us as we surrender control to Him as he produces His fruit in us.

Galatians 5:22,23 reveals the “fruit” of the Spirit. Though eight virtues are listed in these verses, the “fruit” of the Spirit is singular. So, it is not fruits of the Spirit, but rather it is the one fruit (produce) of the Spirit that reveals its.