Complete Joy

"I have told you these things so that My joy may be in you and your joy may be complete." -John 15:11

One of the things in life that brings me Joy are sunflowers.  I love their "sunny disposition" and how they turn towards the sun throughout the day.  To me they present how Jesus makes our Joy complete when we turn towards Him.

But in my bouquet of sunflowers there is one sad little flower drooping and another starting to fade.  Too often we as Christians find ourselves in the same predicament.  The "things" that Jesus refers to are mentioned in the verse before:  "If you keep My commandments, you will remain in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and remain in His love."  In the verse following today's verse He tells us what His commandment is:  "....that you love one another as I have loved you."

Jesus says he remains in His Father's love by keeping His commandments.  Then he tells his disciples that in order to remain in his love they must keep his commandment to love each other.  We are told elsewhere that the commandment to love fulfills all the other commandments.  But we are also told that we are able to love because God first loved us.  So which comes first?  It seems to be a conundrum--until we consider the verse that says God gives us the desires of our heart.  It is our desire/intention to obey Jesus by trusting Him to give us what we need to love others that keeps us in HIS love.  And when we remain in HIS love it's HIS love that we will be giving to others--not something we fake by trying to muster up love in our own strength.   Remain in God's love and you will have all you need to love others.

I am grateful that trusting God enables me to love which completes my Joy.