“Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”
1 Peter 1:8-9 NIV
This scripture describes the joy that we have knowing that we have Jesus and the perfect gift presented to us with His sacrifice. This “joy” is not something that would merely make us happy for a moment, but fill us with an abundance of hope, no matter the circumstance. Joy centers you and serves as a beautiful reminder of the source of it is because you can’t create your own joy. Only God can bring you true joy, because this feeling never fades and it functions independent of life events. For example, in James 1:2 it says “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds…”. This means that even in adversity, you can still have joy and be confident that Christ has your back. Imagine knowing that whether your day is going incredibly well or you’re faced with challenges you’re unsure of, you are still genuinely joyful because you are Kingdom-minded and belong to Him?
Reflection and Application
What characteristics align with this fruit?
When have you truly been joyful? What were the details of this experience?
What can you do to better cultivate this fruit?
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