There was a day recently where I was sent five separate reminders to be joyful. These back to back reminders in a short amount of time prompted me to dive a little deeper into what joy in all circumstances looks like, and how we can experience that kind of joy.

So- let’s talk about the fruits of the Spirit. Specifically, l want to take a look at the first few. Love, joy, peace, patience. (Though the others apply to where I’m ultimately going with this, too).

What do they all have in common? They are all wonderful to experience naturally- and life is full of instances where we do naturally feel these positive things. The butterflies of a new romance. The giggle of a child. The shared joke between close friends; but a lot of times, we learn that experiencing these fruits requires choice.

Take love, for instance. If you’re married, you know quite well that the feeling of love early in the relationship came quite effortlessly. However, as the years went on, you learned to embrace the humanity of your spouse; their flaws, their shortcomings, their sins. And you choose to love them anyway. Love is more than a feeling. The love that comes with choice is somehow even more beautiful; even more meaningful.

The same rings true with peace, patience, and joy. What can come effortlessly in some situations, can require choice in others.

How does one make that choice, though? Life can throw some pretty harsh curveballs. The loss of a loved one. The diagnosis. The financial hardships. The strained marriage. The prodigal child. How do we choose peace or joy in those trials, when the heaviness is great and hopelessness and helplessness threaten to take over in our hearts and minds?

In a healthy marriage, your promise to one another can be a catalyst to making that choice to love even in the seasons you don’t feel all the warm and fuzzies. But what’s the catalyst to choice in peace? In patience? In joy?

I’m here to suggest that perhaps that choice comes naturally when we abide in the One that embodies those fruits; that IS those fruits. Perhaps love, joy, peace, and patience are not feelings or choices at all- perhaps they are all a person. Perhaps the only choices we need to make pertain to our relationship with Him.

When we explore the Bible we find numerous “I am” statements from God. Why? Because He is. He is all things that are good- He is life itself. The more we lean into Him and spend time with Him, the more like Him we become. These fruits of the Spirit, that is, the Holy Spirit within us, then grow and are evident when we walk through the fires and trials of all kinds. Not because we make the choice by our own power, but because we already made the choice to abide in Christ, and the result, or rather the fruit of relationship with God, is that we experience these things even when it doesn’t make sense— when it surpasses our understanding; because of His power that resides within us.

When we fully surrender to Him— when we trust that His ways are greater than ours, that He cares about every detail and every shed tear, and that He knows all and plans good things for us even out of the hardest of challenges that we face- that is when and where we find it.

Love. Joy. Peace. Patience. Fullness.

Even when– it’s hard to love.

Even when– it doesn’t make sense to have joy.

Even when– it surpasses our understanding that peace would even be possible.

Even when– impatience feels easier.

It doesn’t mean we won’t experience pain or that our burdens will be easy to carry; but we’ll know He is holding us as we’re walking through the fires because He provides us that fruit.

Because greater is He that is in us— we can experience all these things and more, even when logic says it’s impossible.

“And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 4:7

(The peace OF God. IN Christ Jesus. There it is!)

“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

Galatians 2:20

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”

Romans 15:13

“These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.”

John 15:11

“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”

James 1:2-4

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”

Galatians 5:22-23

“But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy, and spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may exult in you.”

Psalm 5:11

“Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy!”

Psalm 126:5

“The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.”

Psalm 28:7

“Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation.”

Habakkuk 3:17-18

”Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.“

1 John 4:4