Only Children Feast on Joy
For the past month, we’ve been slowing down as a church family—taking a Sabbath from groups, busyness, and hurry to reflect on what true rest looks like. We’ve been learning that real rest flows from our identity as beloved children of God. Only children rest, because only those who know they are loved can stop striving.
So far, we’ve discovered three habits of the Father’s family:
Releasing worry
Abiding in love
Embracing obedience
This week, we added a fourth: feasting on joy.
Sabbath isn’t meant to be another kind of striving. It isn’t about working harder on our souls. It’s about freedom, lightness, and—even more—fun. As Marva Dawn once put it, Sabbath is “the conscious enjoyment of loveliness.” That means it includes worship, prayer, and silence … but also good meals, laughter, music, beauty, and life-giving friendships.
Jesus, in John 15, reminds us that joy is central to life with him. He even says, “These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full” (v.11). What’s striking here is that Jesus himself is joyful—and he wants to share that joy with us.
So how does the joy of Jesus rub off on us? In John 15:12–17, Jesus shows us three ways: through friendship, understanding, and sacrifice.
1. The Joy of Friendship
Jesus calls his disciples friends, not servants. That’s no small detail. Friendship with Jesus—and with each other—is one of the deepest sources of joy.
Love brings joy: When we love one another, it sparks gratitude and gladness that multiply.
Sacrifice deepens joy: Friendship becomes covenant when we give of ourselves, echoing Jesus’ own sacrifice.
Listening creates joy: Being heard and understood fills us with dignity and delight.
Knowing and being known leads to joy: Jesus shares everything with us; real friendship does the same.
Choosing one another sustains joy: Just as Jesus chose us, intentionally choosing friends reflects his love.
Shared purpose magnifies joy: Joy grows when we labor together toward God’s kingdom.
Christian joy is never a solo project. It’s found in the soil of friendship—with Jesus and with one another.
2. The Joy of Understanding
Jesus says the difference between servants and friends is knowledge: “All that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you” (v.15).
Life with Jesus is life in the light. It’s about being let in on God’s purposes, will, and love. That kind of understanding fills us with joy, but we often resist it in two ways:
We think the darkness will make us happier. Like Israel longing for Egypt’s food (Exodus 16:2–3), we cling to old comforts instead of stepping into the light of truth and freedom.
We think God is hiding from us. We fixate on what he hasn’t revealed, instead of rejoicing in what he has shown us in Christ.
But Jesus reminds us: God has spoken. He has revealed his love and his plan of salvation. Previous generations longed to see what we see (Matthew 13:16–17). Joy comes not from hiding or guessing, but from walking in the light with him and with each other.
3. The Joy of Sacrifice
Jesus defines the greatest love this way: “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends” (v.13). His sacrifice doesn’t just make friendship and understanding possible—it is itself the source of our joy.
Hebrews 12:2 tells us that Jesus endured the cross “for the joy set before him.” That means even sacrifice was infused with joy. In God’s kingdom, joy is less about addition (more money, more success, more vacations) and more about subtraction—about letting go, forgetting ourselves, and giving for the sake of others.
As David Brooks puts it, “Joy tends to involve some transcendence of self.” Real joy comes not from centering ourselves but from losing ourselves in love.
Living It Out
Imagine if once a week, we feasted on this kind of joy:
Gathering with friends who love and understand us
Walking in the light, resisting the lies of hiding
Choosing self-forgetfulness through sacrifice
That’s what Sabbath is for. That’s what Jesus offers us. Friendship, understanding, and sacrifice aren’t heavy burdens—they’re the pathways to joy, the joy of Jesus himself.
As King David once wrote: “In your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:11).
So this week, may we rest not just by releasing our worries, but also by feasting on joy.
✨ Reflection Questions:
Where in your life do you experience the joy of friendship with Jesus and others?
What lies do you find yourself believing about joy—hiding in the dark, or fearing that God is hiding from you?
What’s one way you can practice self-forgetful sacrifice this week to experience the joy of Christ?
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