Dear Christian brothers, let me ask you: Are you a happy person?
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy ...
Galatians 5:22
As I said earlier, love is the fruit to be produced and that all the characteristics described are manifestations of it. I can not produce anything for myself and my neighbor if we do not have love. From that, we began to think: how to produce joy in love? Or better: how to produce joy by waiting on God?
Joy for many is a consequence of certain moments of our lives. They are small fragments of personal conquests, occurred in favor of those we love, moments of peace, pleasure. As much as it passes lines, paragraphs and texts trying to expose what is joy, it would be natural for someone to answer or agree with my vision, add or remove words from my definition. But there is a biblical passage, Paul's letter to the Philippians, which accurately describes how to produce joy in love in hope in the figure of Jesus Christ and in our neighbor.
The letter of the Apostle Paul to the church of Philippi is an authentic testimony that there is a joy that is not explained by alienation, fantasy flight or even by the small fragments of our life. He was handcuffed and guarded for 24 hours, awaiting trial for having been charged with crimes for which the penalty was death - which in fact would eventually happen: death by beheading. He had no reason to be happy, but he writes a letter that recommends joy to everyone.
We know very well that in the context in which we live it does not compare with the anguish that Paul had experienced in his time, but we can learn as a lesson. Produce joy is not summarized in small fragments of the past, present or future of our life, but the delicate and excellent fruit produced by waiting in Christ: joy in love.
We can not be slaves to current and past circumstances, which do not define us (James 1.2-3). "Only who understands life is capable of enduring it." We are disciples of the author of life and love, Lord over the present, the past and the future. Only God is able to teach us how to endure that path and produce joy in the midst of adversities, even in the most severe as in the context of the Apostle Paul. "Producing joy is much more than recent events, it is above all hope and vows of love for better days -" With God the end is always of peace.
We can not make slaves anxious about the future (Philippians 4.6-7). Talking to God at that time is important, as waiting and remaining cheerful on this walk at times may seem difficult. Only those who are able to kneel and say to God, "I can do all things through Christ, that strengthens me" I understand that happiness is not only an emotional or consistent state, but persevere in the figure of Jesus Christ ( Philippians 4:13) .
The Bible is full of examples that highlight joy. It is not a dose of opium or written for a deceived reader, but testimonies of faith. To produce joy in love in the walk of waiting is to place the belief in the one who defeated the world: Jesus Christ. He is the name that makes joy eternal. "He is the name of who life is worth."