Title: Joy: The Keys To Consistent Spiritual Strength
Introduction
Being weak is something that many people dislike, whether it is physical weakness or spiritual weakness. When you are physically weak, you often lack the energy required to perform tasks, find it difficult to lift heavy objects, and are more prone to injuries. These physical limitations can hinder your ability to achieve what you truly desire. Similarly, when you are spiritually weak, you lack the necessary spiritual energy to give to others and evangelize effectively. It becomes easier to develop negative attitudes and feel hurt, leading to a sense of disappointment in your Christian life.
To be consistently spiritually strong, it is crucial to make a resolute decision to prioritize and maintain spiritual strength. This commitment should be followed by actions that contribute to the development of spiritual strength.
1 Peter 1:13 So prepare your mind for action and exercise self control (NLT)
2 Chronicles 16:9 For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.
John 12:25 Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life.
Consistent spiritual strength also requires denying ourselves and detaching from the allure of this world. In John 12:25, it is emphasized that those who love their lives in this world will ultimately lose it, while those who are willing to detach themselves from worldly desires will find eternal life. This means that in order to obey God, we must be willing to deny our own emotions, thoughts, beliefs, and instead prioritize obedience to God’s Word, teachings, principles, and laws.
Point 1. Mental Strength.
The key is “The Joy of the Lord.”
Nehemiah 8:10 for the joy of the Lord is your strength.
This scripture implies that joy we are looking for is in the joy we find in the Lord. This joy is distinct from the joy found in the world or self. While worldly joy may be temporary and dependent on external circumstances, the joy of the Lord is a joy that transcends earthly pleasures and is not reliant on material possessions or personal achievements.
Joy from the scriptures
Nehemiah 8:12 Then all the people went away to eat and drink, to send portions of food and to celebrate with great joy, because they now understood the words that had been made known to them.
In Nehemiah 8:12, the people experienced the joy of the Lord after being read the scriptures. This suggests that the joy of the Lord can be found through the understanding and application of God’s word. By immersing oneself in the teachings of the scriptures, individuals can gain a deeper understanding of God’s love and purpose, leading to a greater sense of joy.
Joy from knowing God
The joy of the Lord is rooted in the knowledge that you are loved by Him, who has the power to take care of you. This love is unconditional and extends to all aspects of your life. It is a reassurance that no matter what challenges or difficulties you may face, God is there to guide and support you.
It is important to understand that God can fix any problem you have, and if He chooses not to, it is for a greater purpose. The presence of challenges in your life is an opportunity for growth and spiritual development. Embracing these challenges with joy and trust in God’s plan can lead to a deeper connection with Him.
As a Christian, you are part of a select group of saved individuals throughout history. This realization should bring great joy and gratitude. By remaining faithful to God, you can look forward to an eternal life with Him, where joy will be everlasting.
Romans 8:38-39 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
The joy of the Lord is unshakable, and no external force can take it away from you. This assurance should bring comfort and a deep sense of joy, knowing that God’s love is unwavering.
You can endure anything with the joy of the Lord
Hebrews 12:1-2 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Jesus endured the horrific pain and torture of the Cross because He knew what came after. He understood the significance of His sacrifice and the new birth it would bring to countless people, including you and me. Just like a mother who endures the pain of childbirth because of the lasting relationship she will have with her child, Jesus endured the cross for the eternal relationship He would have with His followers.
Moreover, Jesus perfected His faith by not focusing on this present life or world, but on the next. He had a heavenly perspective that allowed Him to overcome the sins and challenges of this world. By fixing our eyes on Jesus’s example and imitating His mindset, we too can endure whatever the world throws at us.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
1 Peter 1:11 trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of the Messiah and the glories that would follow.
Heaven is the anchor for our soul
Hebrews 6:17-19 Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain,
When a ship is anchored it is still blown around by the waves, yet it never strays far from where it’s anchored. Similarly, even though we may face difficulties and challenges in life, having heaven as our anchor keeps us grounded and prevents us from drifting too far away. While we may be influenced by worldly temptations or circumstances, our connection to heaven keeps us from straying into destructive paths.
If we do not make getting to heaven our primary goal and find comfort in the idea of being with God for eternity, our lives can quickly unravel. No matter how beautiful or valuable our achievements and possessions may be, without a heavenly perspective, they can become sources of emotional and spiritual destruction. Whether in this world or the next, the absence of heaven as our anchor leaves us susceptible to crashing against the rocks of life.
Matthew 7:24-27 Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.
Examining the worldly realities in front of us and comparing them to the spiritual realities helps us recognize the temporary nature of the world and its desires.
1 John 2:17 The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.
1 John 3:1 See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!
This table shows the difference in worldly and spiritual realities with the hope of convincing you on where to put your eyes on:
The joy of the world makes you weak
1 John 2:15-16 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world.
According to 1 John 2:15-16, we are instructed not to love the world or anything in it. When we love the world, our love for the Father diminishes. The trouble lies in the fact that our hearts too often find joy in the world, and since the world is unstable, our joy becomes unstable as well.
The joy of the world can be summed up in a few different aspects.
- It includes valuing possessions that break and wear out and eventually realizing that they do not bring lasting happiness.
- It involves valuing our career and money, which can easily be taken away from us.
- This may include the valuing of other people’s opinions of us. No matter how hard we try, we can never fully satisfy everyone’s expectations, causing us to constantly seek validation and approval.
- We often find confidence in our looks or appearance, only to be criticized or to face the inevitable decline of physical beauty with age.
- The joy of the world includes valuing success in this world or even in the Kingdom that is only temporary.
- Our loyalty to worldly relationships can lead us down paths of sin and ultimately harm our spiritual well-being.
The attachment to anything in this world becomes a form of idolatry, which separates us from God and robs us of His joy.
Just like Jesus, we will only find true satisfaction in Heaven with God after we have suffered in this world while focusing on saving others. Based on Isaiah 53:11, by sharing in His suffering and selflessly serving others, we can experience a profound fulfillment that transcends the temporary joys of this world.
Isaiah 53:11 After he has suffered, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities.
When we allow the world to steal our joy, we also lose the joy and anticipation of making it to heaven. By prioritizing worldly pleasures over spiritual growth, we jeopardize our eternal happiness. It is only through seeking God’s will, persevering through trials, and focusing on salvation that we can truly find lasting joy, both in this life and in the next.
Point 2. Emotional Strength.
Emotional strength comes through being in the battle
John 15:11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.
The joy that Jesus found was so significant that Jesus felt compelled to share it with his disciples so that their joy could also be complete. These verses hold the key to our entire spiritual life.
John 15:1-10 I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love.
Jesus’ secret to joy
Jesus shares the secret of this joy in this passage, that we are spiritually created with the intention of bearing more spiritual fruit. This understanding is crucial because it emphasizes that all the pruning we experience throughout our lives is for the sole purpose of becoming more effective at bearing fruit. It is essential not to feel insecure or discouraged when God reveals areas in our lives and character that need to change. It is during this process that God sees us as clean, and His grace is evident. However, it is important to acknowledge that we can only bear fruit if we are connected to Jesus. Our obedience to Jesus’s words and the commitment to life-changing bible studies are crucial aspects of this connection.
Without these practices, we, and those in our ministry, will wither and fall away. It is God who allows fall aways to occur as a way to prune His church and create a sold-out church with devoted leaders. The promise that we can ask for anything within God’s will. Our remaining in God’s love is contingent on our obedience to His commands, both individually and collectively as a ministry. When one grasps the full truth that life on earth is all about bearing fruit and doing God’s will, the joys the world offers become insignificant. Holding onto the false belief that a comfortable and unchallenging life can bring us joy will only result in ineffectiveness and eventually falling away
Luke 9:62 Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”
Emotionally, we grow stronger by fully embracing the spiritual battle and accepting these truths. Conversely, we become weak when we allow ourselves to become upset by God’s pruning. Therefore, it is crucial to learn to enjoy the battle and embrace the process of spiritual growth and training, as it is a lifelong journey that never ceases.
The food of Jesus is what brings you strength and complete joy – doing the ministry
John 4:34-35 “My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. Don’t you have a saying, ‘It’s still four months until harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest.
Just like in the world, where so much joy in a family is had around food and the dinner table, in the Kingdom, so much joy as a family is found in the principles of John 15 – and that is within doing the ministry. It is important to note that this work does not stop at baptism, as our focus is not only on getting ourselves to heaven but also on helping everyone we convert.
John 15:16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit —fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.
3 John 1:4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.
Beware of selfish ambition stealing your joy.
Luke 10:17-20 The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.”
He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”
This reminds us that our joy in the battle of the ministry must come from solely seeing God in it, not from any selfish ambition or self-gratification.
In the ministry, our motives will be exposed, and the only pure motive is to glorify God, not ourselves. If our focus is on ourselves, we will easily let the ups and downs of the ministry steal our joy. However, if our focus is always on fulfilling God’s long-term battle plan, we can face the small defeats along the way with greater ease, knowing that they are leading to the ultimate victory.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the key to consistent spiritual strength lies in embracing joy. Mental strength comes from the conscious decision to be joyful at all times, while emotional strength is found in finding fulfillment in the daily challenges instead of hoping for them to pass. To truly grasp these qualities, it is essential to prioritize a relationship with God through daily quiet times and removing worldly distractions from our lives. By doing so, we can achieve the ultimate goal of our faith – the salvation of our souls. As expressed in 1 Peter 1:3-9, our faith in God brings unimaginable joy, even amidst trials, and ultimately leads to the glory and honor of our souls’ salvation.
1 Peter 1:3-9 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire —may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.