That Your Joy May Be Full

I haven't been writing much lately.  It's not that I haven't had much to say, I've just not felt the freedom to say them.  It's almost like God has shut my mouth on purpose.  Partly, I think it's to remind me that He is my source for everything: happiness, peace, creativity, finances, direction, everything that I could possibly need comes from Him alone.

Needless to say, I've also been quiet in real life, too.  It's hard to describe this season because really there are no adequate words.  I love that God uses different times, seasons, vessels and instruments to speak to me and lead me.  Sometimes a song will come on, and it's like He's pouring His love right over me.  Sometimes a dear friend will say just one word that sets off a chain reaction of thoughts that could only come from Him.  Last night, it was in my dream (this happens frequently for me).

I haven't been depressed in a while, but I have felt funky.  I've also been really distant and not pursuing a relationship with the Lord.  I haven't been hiding the word in my heart like I've done for so many years.  A pastor I knew growing up would always say "hide the word in your heart when you don't need it, so when you do need it, it will be there."  I know, the truth is, that we really need the word everyday, but for this purpose, I am using this quote.  

So, last night, I kept hearing the song "this is my commandment that you love one another that your joy may be full."  I wasn't really dreaming, it was more of a prophetic state where I knew God was speaking to my heart and reminding me of His word.  I can't post all of John 15, but that's where we get the command to love so that our joy will be full.

John 15:11-12 "I have spoken these things to you so that My joy may be in you and your joy may be complete. This is My command: Love one another as I have loved you."

The key to complete joy is to love.  Throughout much of John 15, Jesus talks about what it looks like to love and how to love like He does.  Joy found in our things, people, worldly hopes and dreams is temporal and fades quickly.  The joy of a new car fades as soon as the first bill comes and new car smell goes.  Putting our joy on the actions, words or intentions of others will fade as soon as they fail us, because they will.  

However, when joy comes through the Lord, wisdom is born and we are strengthened in that joy.  Not much can move us off that foundation.  Jesus gave us many charges as believers to show people we are followers of Him, but this is the one commandment that He reiterates over and over.  I think there is a reason He would put so much emphasis on love.

John 15:17 "These things I command you, so that you will love one another."

It's like after teaching all this stuff about love, Jesus closes His sermon out with this last thing "love one another."  That's what it all comes down to.  That's where we find our joy.  It's not in the hating of our brothers and sisters in Christ, or even those who have not come to know Him yet.  It's in love that we find our joy.  

Father, thank you for speaking to me in dreams.  Thank you for reminding me to walk in love, and to keep hiding Your word in my heart.  You are so faithful and true, and Your love never fails.  I praise you and I thank you for your goodness and mercy, may they continue to follow me everyday.  May Your love be so evident in my life that joy overflows everywhere I go.  In Jesus Name, Amen!   

Joy is...

I'm linking up over at Lisa Jo Baker's blog for Five Minute Friday.  Each week we blog our hearts out for five minutes without editing ourselves and backtracking.  We link up over at Lisa Jo's place for community, encouragement, and blog love.  Please join us!  We'd love to hear your take on the word prompt.  Today's prompt is JOY.

I've been unsettled lately.  It's not a place I like to be, but it's where I am.  In the unsettling, I've found myself seeking Him, a deep need for more of Him.  For some reason, I'm stuck in Romans.  I'm finding myself in those words, in the depth of Paul's experience with Christ.  Praying the prayers that He prayed - May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.  Romans 15:13.  

I am pouring my heart out in prayer with these scriptures believing God that He can fill me with all joy and peace.  That He is faithful to His word to complete it.  I'm not in state of depression or being down, just unsettled.  I can't find a better word to describe it.  But, I'm hopeful in His promise to keep me at peace and fill me with His joy.  

Joy, God's joy in us, is not just a state of happiness, it's peace.  Joy is trusting God through all things, in all things.  Joy is the knowing that, even in the midst of sad things, God will bring you through.  Joy is being filled with His Spirit day after day, being met right where you are.  Joy is loving Jesus when we're up or down.  His love supplies our joy.

Friends, I pray this prayer for you, too.  That you would also be filled with joy and peace.  That God's hope would be abundant in your life.  If you, like me, are in an unsettled state, let's take this time together to seek Him.  Maybe He's readying us for something, or maybe He's just bringing us to a place of deeper trust in Him, in His word, and in His promise.

End.

A Thankful Heart: Day 33 - That Your Joy May Be Full

You might remember singing the song "this is my commandment that you love one another, that your joy may be full".  This quote from C.S. Lewis reminded me of that song and the verse that inspired it.

John 15:11 - "These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full."

Why does God want our joy to be full?  What does that mean for us?  What allows our joy to be full?  

The scriptures leading up to and after John 15:11 are the instructions for having a joyful life. The answer is overwhelmingly LOVE.  Love abiding in us, God's love abiding in us allows us to walk joyfully because we are not holding onto anger and resentment toward anyone.  Instead, we see them with the eyes of love, almost with rose colored glasses.  It's as if we see people as Christ sees them.  

We know we are capable of loving like Jesus does.  We are able to grow in areas where we are weak.  Where we are weak, He is strong.  The first and greatest commandment (Matthew 22:35-38) is that we love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul and mind.  We are also to love our neighbor as ourselves (Matthew 22:39-40)  Jesus is our example for everything.  If we don't know where to start, we look at Jesus and find our answer.  Abide in Him, and He will abide in you.  His love will abide in you.

One thing I have learned is that it is hard to be angry at someone you are praying for.  If you find someone is hard to love, start praying for them.  I guarantee God will change your heart for that person.  He will knit your heart to them, and they won't even realize it.  I speak this from experience.  Some of my best friends were people I could not stand to be around when I first met them.  But God laid them on my heart, and as I began to pray for them, He filled me with a deeper love for them, and I saw them differently.  

When we choose to love people as God loves them, joy fills our hearts, our thoughts, our talk, our complete lives.  Let's choose love today.  God wants us to walk in joy.  Joy is not contingent upon our circumstances.  This is important to know.  It is completely contingent on your walk with God and your love walk.  We are more effective at pointing people to Christ when our joy tank is full.  Have you ever met a grumpy Christian and then they told you about Jesus?  Would you want what they have?  No!  Let them see that in all circumstances we can give thanks, and walk in love with joy following us wherever we go.  I am walking this out, too!

Father, we know that when our faith is put to the test, it is proved genuine.  We rejoice in you with a glorious, inexpressible joy.  Thank you for giving us joy in our journey.  I pray that our joy will be full as we choose to love others, and to bless them as you have blessed and loved us.  Thank you for the promises in your word that lead us back to you, to a relationship with you, that stands the test of time.  We love you, God.  I lift up my friends to you and ask you to fill their love buckets up so they can be a light of joy wherever they go, a beacon of light that points them to Jesus.  In Jesus Name, Amen!