True joy and gladness come from God, but many of us do not really know this experientially. We want gladness to be in our lives, yet it seems that our circumstances often rob us from finding the place of true joy. Because change in this world is inevitable, there is no constant in our circumstances. In other words, everyone’s life will consist of ups and downs. When we believe the lie that true joy and gladness occur only when life is good and things are going our way, we set ourselves up to question God’s goodness and listen to Satan’s condemnation. This will then lead us into a state of anxiety, worry, fear, and sadness-not joy or gladness.
The truth is this: God wants all of us to experience joy and gladness while living in this ever-changing, challenging world-and it is possible. A full measure of complete and overflowing joy abides in the mystery of Jesus’ love! His love for us is so enormous and powerful that it can lift us out of fear and worry and take us to the heights of joy, unspeakable and full of glory.
Jesus wants to maintain a personal relationship with each of us. On His side of the relationship, there is unconditional love, as He calls us to come to Him and continue on in His love. On our side of the relationship, we sometimes falter, but because His love is so much bigger than our weaknesses, we always have His open invitation to stay in relationship with Him and grow in love. That constant will never change in this world or the next.
When we continue in Jesus’ love, He delights in us, and our own joy and gladness will be complete and overflowing. This is His promise to us!
“I have loved you, [just] as the Father has loved Me; abide in My love [continue in His love with Me]. I have told you these things, that My joy and delight may be in you, and that your joy and gladness may be of full measure and complete and overflowing” (John 15:9, 11).
