Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about the joy of the Lord. Joy is not an attribute that I have always walked in, nor is it prevalent in the lives of most believers. I’ve always stated the enemy hates a joyful Christian. One thing I’ve concluded is we cannot muster up real joy, and we can only fake it for so long. The truth is as follows: The fruit of the Holy Spirit is joy, and the Holy Spirit lives in me to express joy through me. Therefore, He wants me to experience His joy. It’s a gift by His grace-it’s supernatural. All I can do with a gift is receive it and open it. By faith, I thank the Lord for His gift and by faith, I receive it. It’s that simple.
So, during this festive season, take JOY out for a spin. Realize that all the joy of the Lord dwells in you. Thus, receive it, open it and see how it makes a difference. (And you can stop feeling guilty because you haven’t experienced joy. Remember, you can’t apart from Him.)