Welcome to Week 2 of the Fruit of the Spirit series. This week's fruit: joy. If you missed the first part of this series, you can check it out here.

What is joy? Many people compare joy to happiness; actually, a lot of people believe them to have the same meaning. However, that's not quite right. While they are somewhat similar, they're very different from each other. Happiness is a fleeting feeling--it's a reaction to something good happening. Joy is a lasting state. It is being fulfilled.

For Christians, joy is the response to knowing all that God has done for His children and all that He has promised to those who believe in the truth. Joy doesn't come from the world. It doesn't come from getting a promotion or doing well on a test or having someone like you back. Those can all bring happiness, but none of those can bring everlasting joy. Pure joy comes from knowing the promises that God has laid down for us in the Kingdom when His glory will be revealed.

Joy is knowing who God is and knowing that He watches over us and protects us. It's knowing He is in control.

p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: #454545} "But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you." - Psalm 5:11

It's knowing that we aren't perfect but God is. It's knowing He reigns and the darkness in this world can never overtake Him. It's knowing He has a perfect plan for us and for the world.

“Oh, let the nations be glad and sing for joy! For You shall judge the people righteously, and govern the nations on earth.” - Psalm 67:4

How can we know this joy?

The Bible tells us that we can only receive pure joy through the Holy Spirit:

You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. - 1 Thessalonians 1:6

The Holy Spirit came into this world after Christ left in order to empower us. The Holy Spirit is what enables us to do what is right, provide us with hope, convict us of our sin, and remind us of the joy that lies in knowing the Father. The Holy Spirit is all around and lives in those who have trusted Christ as Lord. He lives in us. Because of that, we should always be able to know joy--despite our earthly circumstances.

Yes, that means even in the midst of suffering, we should, and can, have joy in our hearts.

Sorrow is part of human life while we live on this earth. It's unavoidable. Becoming a Christian doesn't mean life is easy, because pain and suffering are inevitable. However, because we have the Holy Spirit in our souls, we should react differently to sorrow. 2 Corinthians 7:10 tells us that there are two types of sorrow: godly sorrow and the sorrow of the world. Godly sorrow includes the sorrow and guilt we feel from sin causing us to repent. Godly sorrow requires us to turn to the Lord for strength. Worldly sorrow involves self-pity. It's becoming negative because of the situations that surround us. It's refusing to acknowledge the good and the hope that God freely provides.

God knows we're going to face difficult times, which is why He is always there for us to lean on. He gives us hope for our future with Him. Paul says that, knowing the hope that God provides for us, our "present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us" (Romans 8:18). Paul has the hope from the Holy Spirit and knows that eternity with the Creator of the universe will be so much better that we couldn't compare it with the pain we might feel. No matter how immense the suffering is on this earth, eternal life is so much better that we cannot comprehend how great it really is. Because of this truth, we can push through suffering and still have the joy of knowing the Lord and knowing His promises are good.

Not only should we remain joyful in the midst of struggles, but the Bible tells us we should be full of joy that we get to suffer for the glory of the Lord. James 1:2-4 says we should be joyful because it creates perseverance. We should rejoice because the glory of Christ will be revealed through our trials (1 Peter 4:13). Paul tells the Corinthians church that God is made strong in our weaknesses, in our hardships, in our trials (2 Corinthians 12:10).

Suffering shouldn't mean the lack of joy. Joy doesn't just last for the good; it lasts through the bad. It's an everlasting state made possible through the hope of the Gospel.

God wants us to find joy in Him. He calls us to rejoice in Him always (Philippians 4:4). God doesn't like seeing us sad or disheartened. He wants us to rejoice in Him because He knows it is good.

Rejoice!