Two weeks ago, I completed a course called “Spirituality of Joy” and of all the great amazing things I learned from the Professor and my peers, the one thing that was deeply impressed was “Joy is also a fruit of the Spirit”.

In Apostle Paul’s letter to the church in Galatia, he names nine (9) fruit of the Spirit.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love (1), joy (2), peace (3), longsuffering (4), kindness (5), goodness (6), faithfulness (7), ²³ gentlenesses (8), self-control (9). Against such, there is no law.

Although all nine fruit is very essential, joy is one that is often overlooked in a believer’s pursuit to bear the fruit of the Spirit. The reason I have found is that pursuing love, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control is no easy task. It will require a believer to go through a pruning season of dying to the flesh and walking in the Spirit to manifest the listed 8 fruit of the Spirit. The fruit of Joy, on the other hand, comes across to most people as happiness and as such is easy to attain as it only involves partaking in joyful activities. Well, Beloved in Christ, Joy is not simply attained by doing things that make us happy, in fact in the words of Professor Angella Son, “Joy is a disposition”. This means it is a state of a person’s being as a person experiences life.

In my understanding, the fruit of the Holy Spirit is the nature of God that the Holy Spirit works to manifest through us in the process called sanctification. The Spirit of God leads us in our lives as sons and daughters of God to manifest the likeness of Christ which is the fruit of the Spirit. The fruit enables us to prevail in our Christian life and fulfill God’s purpose in our lives. The fruit serves as a weapon to destroy the works of the enemy and empowers us to stand firm against trials, temptations, and tests of this life. With this understanding let us never ignore any aspect of the fruit of the Spirit especially joy.

Our state of being as believers in Christ is the complete assurance, hope and confidence we have in God at all times and all things. When we look to God and know without a shadow of a doubt that there is always hope that is joy! Dear one in Christ, joy is the fruit that anchors our faith in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.  The fruit of joy keeps us grounded with the hope that God is ever faithful to His word that He will never leave us nor forsake us. Joy is the manifestation of our confidence in God that God is good.  Jesus Christ overcame the enemy on Calvary and obtained salvation for all who will believe, and that joy is what keeps us secured in our Christian faith. Joy is the complete assurance that whether I lose or gain at the end of the story God wins!

Blessed and anointed child of God, as you yield your life for the Spirit of God to perfect the nature of Christ in you do not neglect the nature of joy that grounds your faith in God. Grow in joy of the hope in Christ and this will give you the strength to prevail in all that you experience in this life.

Stay blessed and always remember that Jesus Christ died for you for He gave His life that you may be saved.