An animated movie came out not too long ago that had the character of Joy in it. In this film, they tell me, Joy was fun and happy, leaping around inside the head of a little girl. Other emotions were present too: sadness, fear, disgust, anger. They all worked together, but they all countered each other. If the little girl wasn’t joyful, she was sad, or mad, or afraid.

The joy that is a fruit of the spirit is different. It is not simply a fleeting feeling. The joy in the movie easily came or went depending on circumstances. That’s more what I would call happiness. But God’s joy is deeper and more stable. It is a way of seeing God’s beauty and protection in the world. It’s not that people who have God’s joy are never sad or afraid. Instead, it’s that the joy is what lasts, while those other emotions are temporary. “Rejoice in the Lord always,” God tells us. God’s people always come back to joy.

The Bible is filled with references to God’s joy. In John 15, Jesus even talks about His joy being in His followers if they obey what He says. It reminds me of that children’s song, “I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart.” But the joy won’t just stay in the heart of someone who loves Jesus. It will be obvious to everyone that this person is filled with the joy of the Lord, regardless of what happens in life. God’s joy can make a huge difference in a scared and miserable world.                                                                    This is Luis Palau.