Joy Is Designed For Growth

Kimsey children seem to come with big personalities. One of our daughters is exuberantly full of life and fun. She feels deeply, identifies with others easily, and loves fully. When she was little, she would often stand just outside the kitchen/living room/bedroom, wherever we were all congregated, and announce, “Cinderella will be there in 5 minutes!” And she would wait, and we would wait. For we knew what would come next, and truthfully, we loved it! She would glide elegantly into the room, singing “Laaaaa Laaaa” in her operatic voice, arms raised, purposely engaging each person in the room. She had arrived! To this day, her dad will often ask her whether Cinderella will come in 5 minutes, hoping for a glimpse once again of that opera singing, regal princess! We loved her announcement, the waiting with anticipation, the necessity of getting everyone in the room to quiet and tune in for the procession, all of it was a delight.

You and I are living in the season of waiting for Christ to come, for Jesus to return victoriously with trumpet sounds and great fanfare. The pregnant pause feels close to its end, contractions seem like they are starting, and we remember his pronouncement that He would be coming soon. For me this year has solidified the deep, burning desire to see Jesus, to be with Him, to see all things made new, all pain and suffering end, all disease eradicated. 

But in this waiting, we have a holy purpose. Paul identifies it in Philippians 1:25-26. “Convinced of this I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again.” You and I are helpers of joy, people who point to the grace extended, the grace offered, the grace given by Christ for salvation and for this life. We sit in the assembly of mankind, and we know what His announcement meant. We know what will be coming, and so we speak into others that they may also wait with anticipation. 

In 2 Corinthians 2:15, Paul calls us the aroma of Christ to God. We are the sweet savour of the great Atoning Sacrifice, offered to God. Our lives diffuse a wafting perfume soaked into our new garments of righteousness, and the joy we experience speaks powerfully to the lost, the discouraged, and the weak. We have the incredible privilege of speaking words of life to our children, pointing them to the grace Christ extends to them in the big and little moments of their days. Joy giving.

Joy is not the root of grace for the soul. It is fruit. Pause for just a moment and consider again, are you demanding joy from yourself? Falsely sticking smiles, laughter, and happiness on a stick, hoping it looks like the abundance of joy to anyone cruising past you at high speeds of life? Joy is brought by the Spirit of God as He tends our souls.  

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. ~Romans 15:13

The Spirit deepens the well of our joy, filling us with the exuberance of seeing His grace. Not a trickle, not a drip. The verb fill in the Greek means to complete, cram full, to fill to capacity. The joy and peace in believing cascades into our hearts. 

• Joy in who He is - Habakkuk 3:18-19

• Joy in being called by God - Ephesians 2:1-10

• Joy in being justified and redeemed - made righteous and purchased from slavery - Romans 3:21-25, Romans 5:6-11

• Joy in the commitment of the Spirit to grow our faith. We see spiritual truth through His eyes and conviction results. 2 Corinthians 3:18

• Joy in the journey, growing in perseverance - 1 Peter 1:3-9

In the overflow, we show His grace to those around us. These truths become our conversations of hope. When moments seem heartbreaking, when the waiting feels too hard, when the hope seems to dim, we who are being filled can offer that same joy to those around us as we look to Him for joy. Spurgeon said it like this: “Despondency is not the fruit of the Spirit, constantly looking within your own self instead of looking alone to Christ is enough to breed misery into any heart.” In this season of waiting, where are our eyes? Where are our hearts turned? 

Have you prayed for yourself lately? Have you asked Him to cram you full of joy, to help you become more aware each day of who He is? In the rush of our days we often fail to stand quietly in those moments and allow Him to teach us, allow Him to comfort us, and allow Him to remind us of His grace. But if we do, if we pause long enough to hear Him, we will see His grace and experience His joy. The waiting will become expectant and purposeful. We will become Joy Givers to those around us.

photo: @maxunami; Max Nguyen