There are multitudes of situations on planet earth that can rob a person of the joy they should be experiencing in life. Joy is absolutely a part of the Christian endeavor. It is one of the fruits of the spirit according to Gal. 5:22. But, how important is it?  And, how can we establish this fruit of the spirit in our everyday life? How does it grow and develop?

Joy is a Fruit of the Spirit

Galatians 5:22 (ESV)
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

• Notice in this translation and every translation you ever read will get the translation of ‘Spirit’ wrong.
• The issue is one of ‘theological bias.’
• Men translate the Bible from the Greek language (New Testament) into English or whatever other language.
• All the men that translate a particular version of the Bible (information about a translation is normally at the front part of your Bible) have a theological slant or ‘what they believe’. Some are one denomination, some are another, some are one flavor, some are another.
• Theological biases enter into Bible translation. It is impossible for men to keep them out!
• The capitalization of ‘pneuma’ or ‘spirit’ in the Bible is a theological issue not a translation issue.
• The original Greek text was all capitals.
• Look at this Portion of 1Corinthians 13. (notice all the letters are the same size!)
• The small letters were all capitalized, that is how they wrote.
• Every place in the Bible where you see the word ‘Spirit’ or ‘spirit’, you are going to have to personally make the call yourself as to whether or not the ‘s’ is capitalized.
• If I was making the call on this verse, I would definitely translate ‘Spirit’ as ‘spirit’ or small ‘s’.
• Why is it ‘spirit’ instead of ‘Spirit’?
• Because the characteristic of fruit is that fruit grows.
• The Holy Spirit is not growing in love. He is not growing in joy. He is not growing in peace.
• The Spirit of God is already GROWN!
• YOU ARE the one that needs to grow.
• This verse could be translated theologically like this.

Galatians 5:22 (ESV)
22 But the fruit of the born again, new creation, human spirit of man is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

QUESTION: How Does the Fruit Grow?

John 15:5 (ESV)
5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

• ANSWER: Fruit growth comes from abiding in Jesus
• Notice the vine and the branch connection.

QUESTION: Where Does the Fruit Grow?

• ANSWER: the fruit grows out on the branch.
• The Holy Spirit does not grow fruit, the branch does!

QUESTION: How Do You Abide?

• ANSWER: the word ‘abide’ means to settle down and remain.
• Jesus said if you want to bear much fruit in an area, you have to abide.
• If you want to increase in love, you have to abide in love or settle down and remain in it.
• If you want to increase in joy, you have to abide in joy or settle down and remain in it.

• ILLUSTRATION: it is like kids being in a swimming pool. Have you ever seen that? You cannot get them out of the pool.
• Hey it’s nap time… they are not coming out of the pool
• Hey it’s lunchtime – they are not coming out of the pool
• Hey it’s homework time – YOU KNOW they are not coming out of the pool!
• These kids are going to increase in their ability to handle that water because they refuse to get out of the pool.
• Abiding in love means, I refuse to get out of the pool of love. Opportunities that come against me to pull me out of love – I bypass and I refuse them and I remain in love.
• Strife opportunities manifest but I bypass them (I do not allow myself to get into strife) and I refuse to get out of the pool.
• Selfish rises but I bypass the desire for ‘me’ and I think rather about ‘you’ and so by that I refuse to get out of the pool.
• Abiding in joy is the same thing.
• I refuse to get out of the pool of joy.
• Bad reports come and I refuse to get out of the pool.
• Unpleasant tasks or things I do not like to endure befall me, but I refuse to get out of the pool.
• Here is the ‘much fruit’ part of staying in the pool.
• Jesus said if you abide in me, you will bear much fruit.
• When you refuse to get out of the pool, when you determine that this that confronts you, you will handle with joy or handle with love, you automatically grow in that area.
• Now here is the next part you need to understand
• All the fruit is not the same level.
• You would be tempted to think so because there is a list here in Galatians 5:22… the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace etc.
• Love is the primary fruit – all of the other fruits are underneath it.

Love is the Root of the Fruit.

• For instance with joy…
• If you are not walking in love, if you are not staying in the pool, if you are not by passing strife opportunities or irritation opportunities, you cannot be joyful.
• What joy? If you are in strife – you are mad, not happy.
• If you are in strife you are not glad, you are irritated!
• Love is the root of the fruit.
• Let us look at how important ‘Choosing Joy’ is.

Joy and the Covenant

Deuteronomy 28:1 through Deuteronomy 28:3 (KJV)
1 And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth: 2 And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God. 3 Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field.

• DEFINITION: Blessing – prosperity, a gift or a present – BDB
• Bless – to endue with power for success – TWOT
• Also translates – to kneel (as before a king to receive)
• Bless – (in one place) it translates as “pool” – i.e. blessings are likened unto rain
• that a pool of water forms
• i.e. blessings give the idea of saturation.

Deuteronomy 28:45-46 (KJV)
45 Moreover all these curses shall come upon thee, and shall pursue thee, and overtake thee, till thou be destroyed; because thou hearkenedst not unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to keep his commandments and his statutes which he commanded thee: 46 And they shall be upon thee for a sign and for a wonder, and upon thy seed for ever.

• Cursing is the opposite
• Instead of gifts – loss
• Insteadof success – failure
• Instead of rain – drought
• Why did the curses come?
• Because they did not hearken to the voice of God
• To keep His commandments and statutes
• But that is not the only reason!

Deuteronomy 28:47-48 (KJV)
47 Because thou servedst not the LORD thy God with joyfulness, and with gladness of heart, for the abundance of all things; 48 Therefore shalt thou serve thine enemies which the LORD shall send against thee, in hunger, and in thirst, and in nakedness, and in want of all things: and he shall put a yoke of iron upon thy neck, until he have destroyed thee.

How Important is Joy?

• The curse came because they did not serve God with a joyful attitude.
• Think about that?
• The curse did not just come because they committed adultery or just because they worshipped false Gods.
• It came also because they did not serve God with the right attitude! – the attitude of joy.
• We know that is true because Israel instead of being happy – instead of being thankful – they mumbled and they murmured and they complained.
• Israel was not a happy bunch.
• If you are complaining, you are not happy and if you are not happy – you sure are not full of joy.
• Joy is important
• You know a lot of times, we think God is just so ultra-serious in His persona. You know just a solemn kind of being – never cracks a smile.
• Do you want to know want to know what God’s idea of solemn is?
• Look at this verse on the Feast of Tabernacles

Deuteronomy 16:15 (AV)
15 Seven days shalt thou keep a solemn feast unto the LORD thy God in the place which the LORD shall choose: because the LORD thy God shall bless thee in all thine increase, and in all the works of thine hands, therefore thou shalt surely rejoice.

• God’s idea of solemn is a party!
• It is rejoicing
• It is gladness
• Not like the world does
• But just as important – notice the wording – “You shall surely rejoice”
• This is a commandment – ‘you shall surely rejoice!’
• You are ordered to rejoice – you are ordered to be glad
• Now this should give you a clue –
• If you have to be commanded to rejoice then it does not come natural!
• So then, Joy is a choice!
• Your worst battle in life will always be between what you know and what you feel.
• Remember, the spirit or the attitude that you serve God with impresses the Lord!

1 Kings 10:1 & 4-10 (KJV)
1 And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the LORD, she came to prove him with hard questions. 4 And when the queen of Sheba had seen all Solomon’s wisdom, and the house that he had built, 5 And the meat of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their apparel, and his cupbearers, and his ascent by which he went up unto the house of the LORD; there was no more spirit in her. 6 And she said to the king, It was a true report that I heard in mine own land of thy acts and of thy wisdom. 7 Howbeit I believed not the words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen it: and, behold, the half was not told me: thy wisdom and prosperity exceedeth the fame which I heard. 8 Happy are thy men, happy are these thy servants, which stand continually before thee, and that hear thy wisdom. 9 Blessed be the LORD thy God, which delighted in thee, to set thee on the throne of Israel: because the LORD loved Israel for ever, therefore made he thee king, to do judgment and justice. 10And she gave the king an hundred and twenty talents of gold, and of spices very great store, and precious stones: there came no more such abundance of spices as these which the queen of Sheba gave to king Solomon.

• The Queen of Sheba saw how Solomon’s servants and ministers attended or served him – and it impressed her.
• And the spirit that you serve God with will impress the most High.
• Serve God with Joy!

Call to Action:

Today’s call to action is a simple one. Choose to be happy. Choose nothing less than fulness of joy for your everyday life. Guard it, protect it and refuse to give it up to life’s circumstances. You can make this quality decision right now.

Question: How has the joy of the Lord impacted your outlook on life? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below.