by Nan Keltie

Created on: February 22, 2010   Last Updated: April 13, 2010

When Christ said, “I am the vine, and you are the branches,” He was talking about His relationship with us as believers.  It is only as we abide in Him that we are able to be healthy, fruitful Christians.  Joy is the second of nine characteristics that describe the “fruit of the Spirit.”  What exactly is joy, and how can we experience it when times are tough?

Webster defines joy as a "pleasurable feeling caused by the expectation of good."   To understand the joy of the Lord, we must go beyond feelings and latch onto faith.  Perhaps a better definition of joy - for the Christian - is "the deep, abiding peace of knowing God will always do us good; a complete trust in the Father's plan, because He knows all, sees all, and He has our best interest at heart."

Christ is our example of this joy.  While here on earth, He was fully submitted to doing the will of His Father and "set His face like flint" when He went to Jerusalem before the crucifixion.  No matter what happened, our Lord always did what was right.  When He was tempted, He never yielded to sin.  When He was tired, He didn’t snap or growl at those around Him.  When He got hungry and thirsty, He didn't complain or whine.  His abiding joy was a result of trusting His Father in every situation.

This kind of joy goes far beyond feeling "happy."  Happiness is a reaction to good things that happen -  the raise we get at work, the kids washing the car to surprise us, flowers from a friend or the fact that our favorite team won the championship.  Happiness occurs as a reaction to pleasant circumstances. 

Joy remains even in unpleasant circumstances, because it is not a knee-jerk reaction to what happens.  Instead, it is a settled condition of the heart - a peaceful rest in knowing God is in control and does all things well.  Like a deep-rooted vine that survives in spite of the drought, joy remains and even thrives.   

Joy is a fruit of the Spirit that grows within us as we abide in Christ. To abide means to “remain, to stay or take up abode with someone."  When we camp out with Christ, we learn more about Him.  The better we know Him, the more we follow Him.  The more we follow Him, the more we become like Him and the more fruit we bear.  

Joy also gives peace.  Consider King David, a man after God’s own heart.  He was a great musician,

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