Showing Joy Through Trials: The Fruit of the Spirit Series

   “If you can’t find joy in the path you are on and what you are working toward now, how do you expect to find joy once you get there?” (Paulo Coelho).

   I walked into the women’s locker room at Lancaster Bible College and saw the girls getting ready for soccer. I began to get ready as well and then I saw one specific girl and I said “it’s Joy!” See, this girl’s name is Joy. As soon as I said it, it got her to smile. So, we continued to do that throughout the rest of the season. Why did I continue to do that? Well, one reason is because I like to be annoying :D. But, the main reason is because every time I said “it’s Joy,” She smiled and so did I. This little exchange made us both happy.

   But, that happiness was only temporary. We both eventually stopped smiling. Have you ever wondered why Paul says the fruit of the spirit is joy and not happiness? See, happiness is “a state of well-being and contentment” (Merriam-Webster). That means happiness is only temporary. I also believe that happiness is shown more outwardly. I can be smiling but on the inside I may not be happy.

   Now joy, joy is “the emotion evoked by well-being, success, or good fortune or by the prospect of possessing what one desires” (Merriam-Webster). You may be saying “wait, what? That sounds a lot like happiness.” And, it does sound a lot like happiness. But, that is because the world uses happiness as a synonym of joy. Joy is different for Christians. Joy is on the inside. Christians can have joy because we have hope. We know that Christ died on the cross for our sins so that we could have eternal life; and that he is coming back. That is why we can have constant joy through the trials of life.

   But, it is not always easy to seem like we are joyful. How can we be joyful when bad things happen to us? We can be joyful by trusting in God and his plan for us. We know that bad things are going to happen. But, if we walk through life with God and lean on him we can continually be joyful through the trials in life. When we trust God and have joy on the inside we can then show joy and happiness on the outside, without wearing a mask.

   So, are you truly joyful because you have hope in Jesus? Do you trust that God has a plan for your life? Will you show your joy and happiness to others?

   1 Peter 4:13, Psalm 16:11, Isaiah 55:12, Galatians 5:22-23