Day Eleven
JOY
Joy is the infallible sign of the presence of God.
—PIERRE TEILHARD DE CHARDIN
It is typical for us to mistake happiness and joy. Happiness is often circumstance-dependent. In other words, we are happy just as long as our circumstances are favorable. Joy does not operate this way. Problematically, we assume that happiness and joy are one and the same. They are not. I believe that joy is the foundation to walking in emotional prosperity and wholeness.
Even though joy clearly has emotional expression, it is, above all, a fruit or characteristic of the Spirit-filled life in spite of circumstances. Many of us are familiar with the Fruit of the Spirit as defined by the apostle Paul in Galatians 5:22-23: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” These words remind us that what we are discussing is not a feeling; it is a fruit. It is not an emotional response or reaction; joy is the result of living a lifestyle yielded to the Holy Spirit.
Joy, however, is an emotional driver. If we discover how to live out of a place of joy, we can navigate through any season or situation because we are not living from our feelings. Instead, we are living from an ironclad, steadfast reality. The secret to living out of this reality is to choose joy.
Joy is a choice—as is peace. The enemy of your soul will try to steal your joy, but you can choose to resist him and remain in joy. There are few things more supernatural than witnessing a man or woman living from a place of deep, abiding joy. Talk to each one of them, and you will find their joy is not the result of living a life without conflict or trouble. Far from it. They have learned to pursue a far more valuable reality and walk in it. They recognize that the joy-full life far outweighs any fleeting pleasure, disappointment, or setback. Joy is constant. Joy is stable. Joy is deep contentment. To choose joy is to acknowledge God’s presence in any given situation. Again, this perspective demands intentionality. By default, we tend to focus on problems rather than God’s presence. To be joy-motivated, we must maintain a fixed gaze upon our ever-present and always faithful God.
This most exemplifies one who is living the prosperous soul lifestyle we are studying.
The Prosperous Soul book provides you with greater detail on what joy actually is. I want to help you experience it. Today, I want to help you get a running start on choosing a lifestyle of joy. Storms of hostility, bitterness, unwarranted criticism, negativity, strife, and the like may roar toward you, but if you choose joy and refuse to let go of it—picking a bigger paradigm view than one that only sees the temporary setbacks—you will be able to overcome them, or at least outlast them.
Fullness of joy is found in the presence of the Lord (see Ps. 16:11)—and it is His joy that gives us strength (see Neh. 8:10).
REFLECTION QUESTIONS
What is the difference between happiness and joy?
Joy is a fruit of the Spirit, according to Galatians 5:22-23. What is the difference between a fruit of the Spirit and an emotional feeling/response?
Do you currently live a joy-full life? Based on what you have read so far, what are some simple ways you can position yourself to walk in the joy of the Lord on a continuous, sustained basis?
ACTION STEPS
For the joy of the Lord is your strength.
—NEHEMIAH 8:10
Go through the Scriptures, find key passages on joy, and make these your meditation. Remember, spiritual prosperity is not simply reading the Bible; that is the starting place. For you to truly understand the importance of joy in your life, I encourage you to locate three verses on joy and constantly think upon these truths. Place them wherever you will be reminded of their joy-releasing power. Your refrigerator. In your smartphone. Your computer screensaver. It is quality, not quantity, that transforms us.