Joy in abiding

John 15 : 9 - 11

...that my joy may be in you....

As I read about Jesus' desire to share his joy with us, I thought : what does this joy look like in one's life? What does it mean "that your joy may be full"? If we don't try to understand this well, then might there be times and situations when we will feel that 'joy' is certainly not part of our lives? We may ask, "Could a person suffering great pain with advanced cancer be joyful, at least sometimes?" And others who do not question so much might glibly mouth songs like "I've got joy, joy joy in my heart......" to encourage those who are in distress. How do we reconcile this? How do we live authentically, in good times, in bad times, given all the resources that Jesus has shared with his disciples, with us?

I've always been a bit reserved when people start clapping and expressing 'joy' during worship. Must be my personality - more melancholic than anything else. As I thought about this, I think it's not that I don't experience the joy of the Lord, but that it 'feels' differently to me. It is not a foot tapping and hand clapping experience. Yet, I need and all of us need to know when and how we experience the joy Jesus shares with us. He says he spoke so that "my joy may be in you". It's his joy we're experiencing - not our own modified version. And his words recorded by John have come on the eve of his passion and death. They are not spoken with a rosy picture of health, wealth and success in view. They are spoken by one who has resolved to keep the commandment to love ("He loved him to the end") and therefore is attuned to his Father's desire. So true joy is also associated with keeping the commandments - in particular the 'new commandment' to love. Easy to love in good times. Can we continue to love even in times of trouble? I believe we can. Joy will flow spontaneously in hearts that abide in the Lord's love.