What is Joy?

Last night, I had a hard time getting to sleep. I was thinking about the saying, "Is your glass half empty, or half full?" I know, its a random thing to be thinking about before bed, but it got me to thinking: my cup can only pour out what it contains.

Just think about that. You can only pour of yourself what is in yourself right? I mean it makes sense. But here's the scary question: if you were to be poured out, what would we find?

I want to think that if someone looked inside of me, every part of my being would be overwhelmingly consumed by my Father. Every heart beat, every look, every thought. But the reality is, even though this is my desire, it's not always the case.

I started to look up this morning passages that contained the word "filled" to see what scripture says to be filled with. The one word that stood out amongst all of this was that simple three letter word we all know and use: joy.

But what is joy? What is this thing that we are to be filled with?

According to dictionary.com, joy is :

1. the emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something exceptionally good or satisfying; keen pleasure; elation: She felt the joy of seeing her son's success.

 

2.a source or cause of keen pleasure or delight; something or someone greatly valued or appreciated: Her prose style is a pure joy.

3.the expression or display of glad feeling; festive gaiety.

4. a state of happiness or felicity

I think its easy to experience the emotion of joy...I think that I find great delight in so many things-my family, my friends, my job, my church....finding delight in life is the easy part. 

But sometimes its the expression of joy that is hard. Its acting how we feel. 


So what does all this have to do with what my cup contains? 


I strongly believe that if someone looked inside of me they would find love, and they would find the Holy Spirit. But looking inside sometimes isn't enough. I need to express this love and this faith and this overwhelming joy that i feel. It needs to be pouring forth from me in a way that it is undeniable. I need to be the cup of my Father, let his Spirit pour forth from me and flood the world around me. 


So, I ask you, what does your cup contain?