How Full is Your Joy Tank?

20 Jul How Full is Your Joy Tank?

“For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” Romans 14v17

Just recently I woke up feeling low. I had the day off, was on my way to the gym and just felt low. I reflected on my family and church circumstances and things were good and there was no reason I could point to that caused me to feel the way I did. The Holy Spirit spoke to me and said “This is a spiritual issue” and I needed to allow Him to fill me with His Joy.

When Jesus teaches us to pray He instructs us to pray like this –

“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”
The coming of the Kingdom results in us experiencing Joy in the Holy Spirit.

The Kingdom represents the Rule, Reign and authority of the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. When we pray for the Kingdom to come it results in the experience in the believer of Joy in the Holy Spirit. The Kingdom is not about eating and drinking, meaning ‘keeping all the rules and regulations’, but involves standing in the Righteousness that we have through Jesus which results in peace and Joy. We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ and this results in Joy.

The Kingdom produces a Joy that is supernatural and not dependent on external circumstances. When Paul writes his letter to the Philippians he is in prison yet he commends us to “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.” Kingdom Joy is a Joy that is generated in spite of the circumstances not because of the circumstances. When Paul describes the Macedonian Church he writes “In a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part.” Kingdom Joy allows you to have an abundance of Joy in a severe test of affliction and in extreme poverty because it is the Joy of the Holy Spirit dwelling within us.

In John 15v11 Jesus says that the things He has spoken are so “that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.”  So Jesus wants His Joy to be in me and my Joy tank to be full. Now the bible describes Jesus as being “anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions.” The Joy Jesus knew He wants us to know so that our Joy tank would be full.

Let me ask you this question, how full is your joy tank? If it’s not full then it is time for you to pray ‘let your kingdom come (the rule and reign of Jesus) let your will be done’ and you will discover the Kingdom is joy in the Holy Spirit. Ask Him to let you experience His Joy and for Him to fill your joy tank because “the joy of the Lord is your strength”

Enjoy the Journey

Alex