The thief does not come except to steal, kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. John 10:10
We began this series by defining the more abundant life as an existence in Christ that is overflowing with righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. We then stated that there are three attributes for walking in the more abundant life: righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.
So far, we learned that righteousness is living your life in line with God's will by His power and not our own. We also learned that peace is the inner tranquility and poise of the believer whose trust is in God through Jesus Christ. This peace is not an absence of trouble, but rather a result of trusting Him in a way that gives us comfort and courage to face trouble.
Now we will conclude our series with how to experience joy in the Holy Spirit. Joy in the Holy Spirit is an emotion of profound happiness that comes from the Spirit of God. Jesus came to bring joy to the world, especially to those who would believe in Him. Because of a deep, inward excitement about the blessings of God, joy produces outward expressions of praise. Sincere expressions of joy, along with God's righteousness, are the outward evidence of the abundant life.
Why is this joy important? The Bible states in James 1:2, "My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience." And Hebrews 12:2 states that "For the joy set before him, Jesus endured the cross, despising the shame." Joy is important because it gets us through the difficult moments of life.
Joy is the outward expression of an internal assurance of God's ability to see me through. It is confidence that the challenge I now face is not in vain, but that there are great rewards that await me as a result of my obedience. I possess joy when I believe He sees me and intimately knows my needs in this situation. He is with me and on my side even when circumstances are beyond my control. He promises to work all things for my good, and He is faithful. What great happiness and joy to have confidence in His nearness and promises!
A lack of joy says that I am not confident that I will make it and that there is no reward for my suffering. You cannot lack joy in the Holy Spirit and experience the abundant life at the same time. This is critical, since the more abundant life is a blessed life; it is an exciting life; it is a life that is completely dependent on the Vine, Jesus.
How do you experience joy in the Holy Spirit?
- Ask the Lord to fill you with the Holy Spirit
- Seek God's wisdom to handle trials with joy and hope
- Choose obedience to God's Word
- Assure yourself of His promises, even during difficult times
As a kingdom business steward, how do you know you have joy in the Holy Spirit?
- You exemplify the fruit of the Spirit in times of pressure.
- You persevere through trials and challenges.
- You rejoice in the midst of difficulties.
- You choose obedience to God's instructions no matter the cost.
There is no greater moment than now to walk in this attribute. While the world is anxious, angry, and afraid of the current economic meltdown, kingdom business stewards allow the limitation of credit, the loss of contracts and clients, the cash flow challenges, and the reduction in our investments to cultivate patience in us. Patience produces godly character. In times like these, we are challenged to conform to God's Word like never before. We spend more time drawing near to Him and experience deeper fellowship with Him. As a result, our faith, trust, and joy increase and mature. We rejoice because we know that "our light affliction which is for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory" (2 Corinthians 4:17).
My prayer for you is that the Lord will cause you to walk in the more abundant life this year like never before, that you will be immune from the ups and downs of the economy, that your business will prosper in the midst of lack, that He will work everything together for your good, and your existence will always be found in Him. May He give you wisdom to manage any crisis or challenge that comes your way, and may He prosper the works of your hands. I pray that He will show you favor with your customers, vendors, creditors, and employees. Above all, I pray that righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit will be the evidence and testimony-to you and others-of the abundant life of Christ in you.
Copyright © 2009 Patrice Tsague
ALL RIGHTS RESERVEDScripture quotations are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.
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