Joy For Life's Journey
by Pastor Andrew Wolfenbarger
08/05/2023
1 John 1:4 – “And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.”
You have heard of a glass-half-full mentality. It is typically regarded in a positive light. It describes a person who is a perpetual optimist and can overcome adversity because of his uplifting outlook on life. It has been my experience that this viewpoint will eventually fail if put under enough stress. It is this writer’s opinion that stress and pressure are the byproducts of faithlessness. That might sound harsh, but consider these verses:
Philippians 4:6-8 - “Be careful [anxious] for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
God intends for every one of His children to be filled with peace even as they face adversity in this life. Pressures, stresses, and anxiety serve to steal our joy. God intends for our joy to be full. This is an important distinction from a “glass-half-full mentality." When your joy is full the contents of the glass are entirely inconsequential.
This lesson of full joy certainly impacted the Apostle John. Throughout his gospel, he mentions our Lord teaching on the topic of full joy twice and in his letters, he addressed the topic twice. Let us consider what lessons might be found in them so that our joy is at maximum capacity as we go along life's journey.
1. 1 John 1:4 – “And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.”
In the verses leading up to this, John mentions that the testimony he has given about the ministry of Jesus Christ is true and can be trusted. Our complete confidence can be placed in Him as the Son of God who brings us into fellowship with the Father.
2. John 15:11 - “These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.”
Our Lord teaches the importance of abiding in Him. This suggests more than merely trusting Jesus but fellowshipping and communing with Him as a habitual practice. As life flows from the vine to the branch through its connectivity, so too does joy come from our relation to the Prince of Peace.
3. John 16:24 - “Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.”
Here, our Lord prompts His disciples to pray by asking and receiving in His name before the Father. The great misunderstanding comes here because, by this, Jesus means far more than a salutation at the end of every prayer. He indicates that if we can ask anything for Christ’s glorification, our Father hears us and will bring about (through His providence) what we have prayed for.
4. 2 John 1:12 – “Having many things to write unto you, I would not write with paper and ink: but I trust to come unto you, and speak face to face, that our joy may be full.”
In this final word on joy, John desires to personally encourage “the elect lady and her children” whom he states that he loves “in the truth”. He knows that mere words on paper are not adequate to convey what he desires to say, so instead he looks forward to the day when he can be a personal encouragement to her in the flesh. Here we are led to consider the joy brought about by our mentors and helpers in the faith.
Through confidence in the declaration of Jesus Christ in the Holy Scriptures, through fellowship with Christ, by Christ-centered prayer, and through the encouragement of other Christians our Lord intends to fill our lives with joy. None of these activities are joy-focused but are designed to build our faith in the Lord. As a result of stronger faith, we will relinquish the pressures and anxieties of life that are so persistent to steal our joy.
08/05/2023
1 John 1:4 – “And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.”
You have heard of a glass-half-full mentality. It is typically regarded in a positive light. It describes a person who is a perpetual optimist and can overcome adversity because of his uplifting outlook on life. It has been my experience that this viewpoint will eventually fail if put under enough stress. It is this writer’s opinion that stress and pressure are the byproducts of faithlessness. That might sound harsh, but consider these verses:
Philippians 4:6-8 - “Be careful [anxious] for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
God intends for every one of His children to be filled with peace even as they face adversity in this life. Pressures, stresses, and anxiety serve to steal our joy. God intends for our joy to be full. This is an important distinction from a “glass-half-full mentality." When your joy is full the contents of the glass are entirely inconsequential.
This lesson of full joy certainly impacted the Apostle John. Throughout his gospel, he mentions our Lord teaching on the topic of full joy twice and in his letters, he addressed the topic twice. Let us consider what lessons might be found in them so that our joy is at maximum capacity as we go along life's journey.
1. 1 John 1:4 – “And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.”
In the verses leading up to this, John mentions that the testimony he has given about the ministry of Jesus Christ is true and can be trusted. Our complete confidence can be placed in Him as the Son of God who brings us into fellowship with the Father.
2. John 15:11 - “These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.”
Our Lord teaches the importance of abiding in Him. This suggests more than merely trusting Jesus but fellowshipping and communing with Him as a habitual practice. As life flows from the vine to the branch through its connectivity, so too does joy come from our relation to the Prince of Peace.
3. John 16:24 - “Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.”
Here, our Lord prompts His disciples to pray by asking and receiving in His name before the Father. The great misunderstanding comes here because, by this, Jesus means far more than a salutation at the end of every prayer. He indicates that if we can ask anything for Christ’s glorification, our Father hears us and will bring about (through His providence) what we have prayed for.
4. 2 John 1:12 – “Having many things to write unto you, I would not write with paper and ink: but I trust to come unto you, and speak face to face, that our joy may be full.”
In this final word on joy, John desires to personally encourage “the elect lady and her children” whom he states that he loves “in the truth”. He knows that mere words on paper are not adequate to convey what he desires to say, so instead he looks forward to the day when he can be a personal encouragement to her in the flesh. Here we are led to consider the joy brought about by our mentors and helpers in the faith.
Through confidence in the declaration of Jesus Christ in the Holy Scriptures, through fellowship with Christ, by Christ-centered prayer, and through the encouragement of other Christians our Lord intends to fill our lives with joy. None of these activities are joy-focused but are designed to build our faith in the Lord. As a result of stronger faith, we will relinquish the pressures and anxieties of life that are so persistent to steal our joy.
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