Want to know the key to overflowing joy, not just regular joy?
I have loved you even as the Father has loved Me. Remain in My love. When you obey My commandments, you remain in My love, just as I obey My Father’s commandments and remain in His love. I have told you these things so that you will be filled with My joy. Yes, your joy will overflow! ~ John 15:9-11, NLT
Did you catch it?
Let’s work backwards to break this down really quick:
Jesus is talking to His disciples about all this pruning, cutting, abiding in Him and bearing fruit–not all really fun stuff–but a very necessary part of the Christian lifestyle.
In verse 11, He says the reason He is telling them all this stuff is so that not only can they (and we) be filled with His joy, but that it would overflow.
The key, i.e. access to that overflowing joy is found in verses 9 and 10. It’s contingent upon these 2 things.
We are called to:
- Remain in His love.
- Obey His commandments.
So with my inquistive self, I asked of the text, “How do I remain in His love?”
I must obey His commandments.
Basically, do what He tells me to do.
To take it one step further, Jesus never asks us to do anything that He has not first done Himself.
He tells us this in these verses when He says just as I.
Therefore the key to overflowing joy is to obey His commandments, which leads us to remaining in His love.
As you meditate on these scriptures this week, consider whether you have that overflowing joy Jesus promises to us. If you don’t, ask yourself, Have I been doing what the Lord has asked me to do?
Create a list of all the things the Lord has told you to do nd start obeying today.
You’ll be well on your way to having overflowing joy!
Lady In Waiting 222 