Welcome back to our series, “Fruit of the Spirit.” Napakasarap mamuhay nang puspos ng pag-ibig at kapayapaan. Kaya rin ba nating maging masaya kahit may problema? Let’s find out from today’s devotion.

Puspusin nawa kayo ng Diyos na siyang bukal ng pag-asa, at nawa ay pagkalooban niya kayo ng kagalakan at kapayapaan sa pamamagitan ng inyong pananampalataya, upang mag-umapaw ang inyong pag-asa sa pamamagitan ng kapangyarihan ng Espiritu Santo.

Mga Taga-Roma 15:13

How do you define joy? Is it the feeling you get after getting a good evaluation at work or a high score in an exam? Or is joy something that comes with a high salary or expensive gifts on your birthday? Maaaring may nararamdaman tayong saya at tuwa sa lahat ng mga ito. Natural naman iyon.

But what if we don’t have any of these things? How do we respond when we experience the opposite? Paano kung bagsak ka sa exam o hindi maganda ang evaluation mo sa office? Paano kung hindi malaki ang sahod mo? Paano kung walang nagbibigay sa iyo ng regalo sa birthday mo? Mawawala na ba ang joy sa buhay mo? Hindi naman masama na makaramdam ng disappointment o sadness. But underneath all that, you can still have joy. You can still feel some pain, shed a few tears, but after a while, you can get up and smile again. You can still have hope.

That is because true joy does not come from material belongings, other people, or our own striving. Joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22–23) and is nurtured by spending time in God’s presence and practicing gratitude. Let us remember that joy — true, life-giving joy — does not depend on the external (our finances, status, or situation) but on the spiritual. True joy helps us to “overflow with hope” (Romans 15:13, NIV) whatever circumstances we face, because we trust in the God of hope whose love for us remains the same, across time and space.

Join us again tomorrow for the continuation of our series, “Fruit of the Spirit.” May you continue to enjoy the fruit of love, joy, and peace that God’s Spirit is bearing in your life!