Fruit: Joy

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law." - Galatians 5:22-23


"By their fruit you will recognize them." - Matthew 7:16a

I should have put up a notice of some kind, but between being sick and busy at the same time, I didn't get around to it.  So, sorry for the unannounced two-week break.  I'm back, and ready to continue the series on the Fruit of the Spirit.

Joy is one of the harder concepts on this list - not because it's something so foreign to us, but because there are so many misconceptions about it.  So let's clarify things a little to figure out what exactly joy is.

Joy is not based on an emotion.  It is not dependent on your circumstances.  James tells us to consider it joy when we face trials.  Phillipians tells us to rejoice in the Lord always.  It seems a bit counter intuitive, based on our own understanding of what joy is, but there we have it: joy is a choice, just like every other fruit of the Spirit. 

Joy is not about being happy, even.  It's an outlook on life that says, "No matter my circumstances, no matter how I feel, I'm going to find the good in things and be joyful about it."  Which is, I know, a terrible thing to do, using a word in its own definition.  So here's another one, made up off the top of my head: Joy is the intentional, ever-present attitude of gladness that revels in life and thanks God for it all.

What does that look like in relation to gaming culture?  That's a very good question.  Maybe it's marveling at the artistic talent the artists display in rendering your favorite game world, maybe it's found in the time you spend with other gamers, encouraging one another to be glad for things the way they are.  The very fact that we live in a time and circumstance where we can take part in such a hobby as video games is certainly something to be joyful about, but you can also just as easily be joyful that you are simply alive at all.

Take a look around you with the intention to be joyful.  I bet you'll find a lot more than you think.