What is Joy?

According to the Webster’s dictionary, joy is a passion or emotion of gladness, exhilaration of spirits, delight.

According to Strong’s Concordance, joy means cheerfulness, i.e. calm delight- gladness, to rejoice, to be exceeding joyful, greatly, joyfulness joyous.

Joy is an emotion that goes beyond happiness, it is a calm assurance that keeps you in peace no matter what is happening around you. You may be going through a storm in your life but it will not move you because you will have a cheerfulness in your heart. Joy then is surely an emotion that we all need. Anything we focus on expands therefore it is my hope that as we study joy we will become more joyful.

What is Joy?

1) Joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit:

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

Galatians 5:22-23

2) Joy is an oil that you can be anointed with:

To console those who mourn in Zion,

To give them beauty for ashes,

The oil of joy for mourning,

The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;

That they may be called trees of righteousness,

The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.”

Isaiah 61: 3

You love righteousness and hate wickedness;

Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You

With the oil of gladness more than Your companions.

Psalm 45:7

3) Joy is a characteristic of the Kingdom of God:

For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

Romans 14:17

So let us recap, joy is:

• A fruit of the Spirit
• Joy is an oil you can be anointed with
• Joy is a characteristic of the Kingdom of God

The next session will look at the effects of joy.