As we all work towards Friday, allow these profound words by Isaac Dunn to get your week off on the right foot! For those of you who don’t yet know Isaac, he is a Senior at TCU from Abilene, TX. Isaac has served as the President of the TCU Wesley campus ministry. Isaac is a humble man with a true servant’s heart, and hopefully his words for you today will challenge you and fill you with JOY in the midst of a busy week! Have a great finals week!
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An Advent Devotional, By Isaac Dunn
Galations 5:22 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law”
As we continue in this season of advent, we are reminded to be joyful. Joyful for the season of Christmas that steadily draws near. Joyful for the faith we have in our loving Creator. Joyful for one another. Joyful for the grace which we have been offered on account of our Lord, Jesus Christ.
Oftentimes, we see joy being displayed during this season in conjunction with feelings such as happiness and contentment. Yet, this emotion we call “joy” seems to mean so much more than either of these emotions. Unlike happiness or contentment, joy ushers us into action. It causes a stirring in our hearts, a bursting desire to share our new-found joy with others. In the Psalms, we see joy being expressed through song, dance, and great deeds. Joy is an outward expression of an internal feeling. In other words, joy is meant to be communal. It is meant to be shared.
I believe the Fruit of the Spirit accentuates the fact that joy is not meant to be alone. Joy is grouped in this passage with other acts such as love, peace, patience, and kindness. I have to believe this grouping was intentional on the part of the author. Our joy can be displayed through small acts of love, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, and self-control. Without these acts, our joy has not reached its full potential.
When I think of joy, I am often reminded of my grandfather. He is a man who always seems to be filled with joy. The joy I saw in him growing up was best displayed when he sought out people in his community, to offer blessings of peace, love, and kindness. His favorite way of doing this was through his gardening. He loved to garden and was eager to share the “fruit” of his labors. In this act of sharing, I could see this sense of joy being passed from my grandfather to those he interacted with.
In this season of advent, let us share our joy with others, whether it be from the small acts of kindness, to reminding others that they are loved, to caring for those in need.
O God, you are our source of joy. In this season, let us be captured by this joy, so that we may be moved by the Spirit to share it with others. May we seek out opportunities to let this joy bind us together with our brothers and sisters, so that we may all come together to experience your love, your grace, and your glory as one body. Amen
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