Our first and foremost principles about joy, or anything, should always come from scripture, inspired by the Creator of each of us – Who knows more about our happiness and joy than we could begin to know in a hundred lifetimes. He wired us in His image, for joy and more.
John 17, verse 11 gives us powerful first glimpses about joy.
These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.
Wow! Let's take it in pieces.
"These things have I spoken unto you", tells me this is where the roots of joy are. Our joy-roots are in the teachings of Jesus Christ. But more than that, these truths have a delivery address written on each and every one – it's the 'unto you'. Jesus Christ came to this Earth via a smelly stable to deliver joy-roots truths to me and to you, and to that teen that God has placed in your mission field. They're written down with countless examples of others that claim Heaven's joy .
These joy-roots truths become the tools; the rules, in our labors as we faithfully carry God's message, with tears, to the hurts of others. These truths with tears blossom into deep-rooted plants that endure storms in every life.
The 'remain in you' says this joy will REMAIN in me. It doesn't go away tomorrow, or when I'm faced with a challenge. Happiness and laughter are often shortlived and not always sincere. So what will that remaining joy accomplish? Hebrews 12:2 tells us God's own Son, Jesus, endured to completion, the suffering and sacrifice of the Cross, by the 'joy that was set before Him'. This tells me, joy is what gets tough jobs done. But God's word has saved the best for last. It's the 'our joy might be full'.
Full Joy is that level of character and living that makes us most Christian; most 'Christ-like'. Jesus tells us, in John 17:11, that we're given the same joy that Jesus has and it comes through all of scripture, and its proper use. Excitedly, we see this joy will remain in us and ends the verse with the expected result. This stated result - 'joy might be FULL' adds an almost mysterious dimension to this joy. 1Peter 1:8 labels this full joy as 'joy unspeakable'. Jude 24 gives another aspect of this joy that could only come from God and His deep abiding 'parent-passion' for each of us – young and old.
These joy-roots truths become the tools; the rules, in our labors as we faithfully carry God's message, with tears, to the hurts of others. These truths with tears blossom into deep-rooted plants that endure storms in every life.
The 'remain in you' says this joy will REMAIN in me. It doesn't go away tomorrow, or when I'm faced with a challenge. Happiness and laughter are often shortlived and not always sincere. So what will that remaining joy accomplish? Hebrews 12:2 tells us God's own Son, Jesus, endured to completion, the suffering and sacrifice of the Cross, by the 'joy that was set before Him'. This tells me, joy is what gets tough jobs done. But God's word has saved the best for last. It's the 'our joy might be full'.
Full Joy is that level of character and living that makes us most Christian; most 'Christ-like'. Jesus tells us, in John 17:11, that we're given the same joy that Jesus has and it comes through all of scripture, and its proper use. Excitedly, we see this joy will remain in us and ends the verse with the expected result. This stated result - 'joy might be FULL' adds an almost mysterious dimension to this joy. 1Peter 1:8 labels this full joy as 'joy unspeakable'. Jude 24 gives another aspect of this joy that could only come from God and His deep abiding 'parent-passion' for each of us – young and old.
Our Full Joy definition touches on just one of the many facets of 'unspeakable' Full Joy.
Full Joy is to savor our expanding joy as we consistently give sacrificially in service and substance within God's will.
Our meager definition tells us that Full Joy is best known through experiencing God's bountiful blessing as we give sacrificially.
- The boy must have experienced full joy as he gave his 5 loaves and 2 fish to Jesus to feed the hungry 5000+ multitude, and then see 12 baskets-full left over.
- The widow must have experienced full joy as she filled barrels with God's abundance from her having sacrificially given the remaining food to Elijah that she was preparing for she and her son before they starve.
- How about the Jews giving sacrificially to build the tabernacle and the city of Jerusalem?
- Though wracked with unspeakable pain, Our Lord must have felt full joy as He completed His mission, for His heavenly Father, in shedding His blood on Calvary.
“He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed,
shall doubtless come again with rejoicing,
bringing his sheaves with him.” Psalm 126:6
[ end of document ]shall doubtless come again with rejoicing,
bringing his sheaves with him.” Psalm 126:6
