Fruits of the Holy Spirit — Joy — Part 1

Introduction and main idea

In this lecture His Holiness Pope Shenouda III explains that joy is one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit, and that a Christian filled with the Spirit must always be joyful because the Holy Scripture commands and counsels joy. True joy is not a worldly fleeting joy but living in holiness and continual communion with God.

Joy and the Holy Scripture

The lecture cites Paul, the psalmist and the Book of Psalms that call for continuous joy: “Rejoice in the Lord always.” Joy connected to the Lord is based on hope and inner peace, not on passing worldly pleasures or circumstances.

Joy in afflictions

The speaker shows that trials and persecutions may surround the believer from the outside but do not enter the depths of his heart if he is attached to God. The examples of the Apostle Paul demonstrate that Christians may face beatings, prisons, and accusations yet remain joyful because they feel God’s consolation and His presence with them.

Difference between true joy and false joy

If a person walks in sin his joy is false and not a fruit of the Spirit. The only reason that should change joy is separation from God; external troubles cannot take away joy if the relationship with God is maintained.

Practical advice

The saint advises each person who loses joy to search within for the cause of sorrow and treat it, and to make the heart wide so that troubles do not oppress it. One must expel disturbances quickly and keep the Lord between oneself and the afflictions, relying on a practical communion with God rather than external consolation.

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