“Therefore this joy of mine is now complete.” John 3:29
John was facing a great deal of loss. His ministry was in decline. The crowds that once came were a thing of the past. But he is not disappointed, jealous, resentful, or afraid. He is completely at peace!
John finds greater joy in Jesus than in his own success. If your joy is in your own success, your joy will never be complete. There will always be someone else who is doing better than you, and that will inhibit your joy. But John’s joy is in Jesus, and he says, “This joy of mine is now complete!”
Ronald Wallace says, “Joy comes without being cultivated or thought about, to those who allow themselves to become absorbed as John did, in the glory and wonder of… The Christ.” Notice, he says, “without being cultivated.” We live in a world that is in a relentless search for joy and happiness. You wonder, What can I do that will make me happy? Where can I go to find real joy?
How easy it is to spend our lives trying to find the next thing that we think will give us joy. You don’t get joy by chasing around after joy. You find joy by giving yourself to Jesus. Joy comes, without being cultivated, to those who become absorbed in the glory and wonder of the Christ.
What do you know of purity, peace, love, and joy in your life? These are marvelous gifts and they can be yours. All of them are found in Christ who died and rose to procure them. He holds them in his hands and offers them to you, and the more you know, love, trust, worship, and serve him, the more you will know of purity and peace and love and joy.
Are you chasing joy or giving yourself to Jesus?
