Aspects of an Abundant Life
By Jerry Batson, Th.D.
Special to The Alabama Baptist
Our language contains a number of compound adjectives that end with a syllable of fullness or abundance. One such word is joyful.
Life at its abundant best is a joy-filled life. Most of us have multiple reasons for joy in spite of life’s negatives, disappointments, pains and lack. Even so our joy cannot be full apart from Christ who said to His followers, “These things I have spoken to you that My joy may remain in you and that your joy may be full” (John 15:11).
To this same end of fullness of joy Jesus is on record as having prayed for His followers saying, “I have come to You and these things I speak in the world that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves” (John 17:13). Christ’s prayerful desire is to fill us to the full with His joy.
Earthly happiness
Often our earthly synonym for joy is happiness. However, as the word happiness itself intimates happiness is somewhat external in that it depends on what is happening to us or around us.
Joy on the other hand speaks of something that is not necessarily dependent on happenings. The source of real joy is not earthly events but is found in our heavenly Lord.
God’s people have been known to be joyful in the most adverse circumstances. A classic example was Paul and Silas during their imprisonment in Philippi (Acts 16:25). Their plight in a first-century prison was far from hospitable.
Their joy was not found in their circumstances or surroundings.
Heaven’s joy
The joy that manifested itself in praise was internal and had its source from heaven. By no means have those two Christ-followers been the only ones to experience joy while suffering.
A number of Bible verses point us heavenward for the source of real abiding joy. For example we might try these verses on for size amid our own situations and make them part of our meditation. Psalm 16:11 confesses before the Lord, “In Your presence is fullness of joy.” Isaiah 12:3 promises, “With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.” Galatians 5:22 reminds us, “The fruit of the Spirit is … joy.” Psalm 30:5 yields the promise, “Weeping may endure for a night but joy comes in the morning.”
A full and abundant life is difficult if not impossible to imagine without the joy of the Lord filling our hearts. Why not give daily thought throughout this week to Proverbs 17:22: “A joyful heart is good medicine.”
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