By Briana Bass, Christian Romance Author, Devotional Writer & Certified Professional Coach

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Galatians 5:22-23

The world doesn’t like joy. It’s an odd thing to say, but I see it constantly. See, we are a society of complainers. If we don’t get what we want, if things don’t go our way, we complain about it. Loudly. Publicly. Not that I want to encourage eavesdropping, but the next time you go to a restaurant, listen to the tables around you. It’s a lot of complainers, isn’t it?

Complaining doesn’t leave a lot of room for joy. Now, joy does not mean happy. There’s nothing wrong with being happy, but it’s a changeable human emotion. Our emotions are rollercoasters vacillating between happy and sad, always changing. Go back to Galatians 5:22-23. Do you see happy listed? Nope. It’s not there. Because it’s not a fruit, it’s a feeling, and feelings can change.

Joy never changes. The various fruits of the Spirit are constant because God is constant. God doesn’t change, so the manifestations of God in our lives cannot change either. That sounds quite abstract. I get it. So let’s break it down and discover the practical application of joy in our lives.

I’ve Got the Joy Down in My Heart

We experience joy through worship. It’s really that simple. When we worship the Lord, we are filled with joy and that joy overflows, pouring out of us for everyone to see it. That’s when it becomes a fruit with the potential to feed not only ourselves but the people around us. Again, I will reiterate, joy does not equal happy. Happy can be a side effect of joy, and we can certainly be happy when we praise God, but we know that’s not always the case. Sometimes we’re mad or sad or overwhelmed or any other negative emotion and yet we can still spend time with Jesus (those are often the times we need Him most!). Every moment of our lives is an opportunity to praise the Lord, even during the trials and tribulations. It’s called rejoicing for a reason!

But let all those who take refuge in you rejoice.
    Let them always shout for joy, because you defend them.
Let them also who love your name be joyful in you.

Psalm 5:11

When our spirits are revived and our hearts are full to bursting with love and gratitude for the Lord, that is joy. But we often allow the messiness of this world to diminish our joy. We focus more on the evil in the world than we do on Jesus. Remember, He already overcame the world. We can worship God even in the dark times of our lives. In grief, persecution, or ill health, we can still find joy because we still have God. Joy stems from worship, not from living a carefree life.

Satisfy Your Hunger

If joy is a fruit of the Spirit, then it stands to reason that it comes from God Himself. God is the fount of joy in the universe. In John 15:11 Jesus says, “I have spoken these things to you, that my joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be made full.” His joy. God’s joy. The only way that we can achieve true and complete joy is through the Lord.

Okay, so joy is a fruit that comes from God, and we experience it when we worship Him. Then why doesn’t the world like joy? Why do we often choose to ignore joy? Remember that worship is an action. It requires a choice. You must command your soul to praise the Lord. It doesn’t always come naturally. Our fallen world wants us to make a different choice, to worship ourselves instead of the Lord. That never leads to joy. You may experience fleeting moments of happiness, but those moments will not sustain you. Joy, God’s true joy, is spiritual manna from Heaven that provides eternal sustenance. With Jesus, you will never go hungry.

But how do you experience joy? There are a few simple ways: prayer; reading the Bible; listening to or singing hymns and worship songs; listening to sermons and podcasts. Think of one way you can worship the Lord today. I suggest either prayer or listening to praise music. It’s doesn’t have to be complicated or time consuming. You could do it while driving to work or just before you go to bed tonight. What’s important is that you make the choice to engage in worship. That choice is what ultimately leads to you experiencing joy. You can then lead others in worship so they too experience God’s joy.

Go Out with Joy

Rejoice, friends! In the good times and the hard times, rejoice that Jesus came to save us. Rejoice in God’s love and mercy. Take heart that you can experience God’s joy. It is not something that will be withheld from you. God gives it freely!

Allow worship to become a staple of your life and joy will permeate your life. You will still face hardships. You will still have moments of anger or anxiety. But nothing on this earth can take away the joy that comes from praising Jesus. Joy will always come in the morning.

All scripture is quoted from the World English Bible, public domain.