A little 2 year old boy in our church nursery demonstrated this truth quite innocently one Sunday. The nursery worker opened a snack cup of crackers to share with the children, offering a few at a time. One little boy gladly accepted the first two offered to him, then the next two offered. On the third return to the snack cup, the little fellow had brought one of the toy cups from the play kitchen. He held it out so it could be filled to the brim!
Jesus explains the concept of fullness of joy in John 15:9-11 (KJV), “As the Father hath loved me, so I have loved you: continue ye in my love. If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love. These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.”
Our joy in Christ is never going to be full as long as disobedience to His commands is a norm in our lives. Disobedience is a sign of a lack of love for Him. Pleasing Jesus should be our heart’s desire. He clearly says we are to keep His commandments if we want fullness of joy.
Jesus continues to explain what this means…
“This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.” John 15:12-14
Jesus does not want us to misunderstand. Love for Him constrains us to love others. He says to lay down our life for a friend. Yes, this could be interpreted literally, meaning dying in place of a friend. However, we can die to self, and lay down our life by serving others. You see loving others often involves giving more of ourselves, i.e. time, energy, resources, than we usually expect. It requires a heart that is willing to be inconvenienced.
Many of us would gladly settle for half a cup, but Jesus exhorts us to desire that full cup of joy. He wants us to love Him wholeheartedly, unreservedly, and He wants us to trust Him enough to obey Him.
When we choose to disobey Him, we are choosing half a cup of joy because our love is not wholehearted. We’re holding back, unsure whether He will fulfill His promises. Rather than trust in His Word, we choose our own ways, usually discovering we were wrong.
How much better it is to obey first, prove Him, then reap the reward, rather than disobey and suffer the consequences. Test Him to see if He is right by obedience first, then your joy will be full indeed.
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