Work — So That Your Joy Is Complete
Work — So That Your Joy Is Complete
Work — So That Your Joy Is Complete
Work — So That Your Joy Is Complete
Having complete joy at work displays that you are highly confident in who you are and what you do. Having complete joy at work means knowing who you are and how to use your gifts to the maximum benefit of others. It’s possible to become unconsciously competent at being full of joy.
Complete joy is a state of being.
Having complete joy at work displays that you are highly confident in who you are and what you do. Having complete joy at work means knowing who you are and how to use your gifts to the maximum benefit of others.
It’s possible to become unconsciously competent at being full of joy.
Work is challenging and complex. Things don’t always go as planned. Doing the right thing can lead to temporary setbacks and even suffering for you and your team. Coworkers and clients can be difficult and don’t always do their part.
Work is also routine and boring. Things can be too predictable, and the excitement of the daily opportunities can fade. Coworkers and clients get distracted and lose focus.
The key to joy is not the scenario or circumstances of our work. The key to joy is fulfilling the reason we were created by becoming a highly productive bearer of fruit — fruit that lasts — no matter what the circumstances are.
You were made by God to bear maximum fruit, but you can't bear fruit — any fruit — without being assured of what Jesus wants us to know and what Jesus wants us to do.
Followers of Jesus have the opportunity to join God in the very work He is doing — bearing much fruit and becoming unconsciously competent in receiving complete joy in their everyday work.
Knowing + Doing = Being Competent
Previously, we have defined what it means to be fully competent in anything.
Knowing the right things… leads to doing work that blesses others… and when we bless people consistently with prayer and the right motives — becoming like Jesus — we gain the opportunity to talk about Jesus. (See 7 Competencies For Great Work.)
Assurance + Remaining = Being Full Of Joy
An All-Star NBA player dribbles and reads defenses, distributes the ball, and takes great shots — unconsciously — as part of their nature, not having to think too much about how to dribble or the technical details of the defenses. All the years of practicing and playing have made these skills part of who they are.
In a similar way, a follower of Jesus can work with challenging circumstances and lead different types of people, all while being full of joy and passing their joy to others — unconsciously!
To become something requires lots of practice. The key to being full of joy is practicing with the right inputs. The right inputs for being full of joy are knowing who you are and making sure to remain in your Source of life.
Assurance Is Knowing
[.text-color-blue]Knowing you are loved[.text-color-blue] by Jesus as much as the Father loves the Son is the assurance key for a fruitful relationship with God. Jesus makes this promise to you, “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.” - [.no-reftag]John 15:9[.no-reftag]
[.text-color-blue]Knowing you are called[.text-color-blue] by God and when you were called by God (Ephesians 1:4) — before you ever did anything — is assurance of who you are: your identity and destiny in Jesus. Jesus said, “You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.” - [.no-reftag]John 15:3[.no-reftag]
[.text-color-blue]Knowing you are appointed[.text-color-blue] by Jesus is the assurance key to your purpose: to join him in doing the very same work He is doing.
“You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit---fruit that will last---and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.” - [.no-reftag]John 15:16[.no-reftag]
Remaining Is Doing
Your source of life is Jesus. No one does anything of value (John 15:5) without being connected to the Source of life. Jesus tells us exactly how to stay connected to Him for everything we need for life and work. In the ultimate passage on how to grow (John 15:1-11) Jesus tells us 10 times to remain in Him!
[.text-color-blue]Remaining in His love[.text-color-blue] means you do not do anything without the assurance of the love of Jesus. Go back to the above section if you need to, but since you can’t do anything without His love — get assurance before moving forward. “Now remain in my love.” - [.no-reftag]John 15:9b[.no-reftag]
[.text-color-blue]Remaining in His word[.text-color-blue] means keeping your heart, mind, spirit, and actions tethered to His very words. The words of Jesus are full of wisdom, but they are far beyond wisdom, they are the only way to guarantee success (Joshua 1:8) in your work. The words of Jesus provide life (John 1:1-3). We can live on the promises of God, especially these words from Jesus. “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” - [.no-reftag]John 15:7[.no-reftag]
[.text-color-blue]Remaining in His commands[.text-color-blue] means doing what He commands us to do in all of our work for our good, the good of others, and the glory of God (John 15:8).
Jesus said He could do nothing without his Father (John 5:19). The same is true for us. We must follow the commands of Jesus to do work that is valuable for others.
To follow Jesus and be fruitful is to do what He commands. To remain in His love is to do what He says to do. “If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love.” - [.no-reftag]John 15:10[.no-reftag].
Jesus provides the supreme command that is the most useful in work everyday. “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.” - [.no-reftag]John 15:12[.no-reftag]
Being Full of Joy
“I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.” - [.no-reftag]John 15:11[.no-reftag]
Knowing – having complete assurance of Christ’s perfect Love…
+ Doing – Responding to that love by remaining in Him…
= Being filled with joy … joy that fills your life with abundance and gives highest glory to God!
The pushback might be, ‘What about all the challenges, the difficulties, the people who will take advantage of you when you seek the needs of others above your own in love?’
Praise God, Jesus provides a Way for us to follow in suffering too. He demonstrated that love for others will cost us much (John 15:13), but He also shows us that work done in love produces great joy.
This is why we must remain and “fix our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” - [.no-reftag]Hebrews 12:2[.no-reftag]
When you remain in Christ, you become a person filled with complete joy. You become unconsciously competent at living joyfully – you don’t have to worry about whether you know enough or are doing enough, you don’t have to earn it or renovate parts of your life to achieve it.
Joy becomes part of the very fabric of who you are.
It’s the incredible outgrowth of a life lived fully planted in God through His son Jesus – through His love, word, and commands – bringing love, joy, and glory to full fruition in every aspect of your life — especially your work.
Questions to Consider —
- How has knowing exactly who you are in Jesus impacted your work?
- How has remaining in the love, word, and commands of Jesus made you a more effective leader?
- Consider the most joyful work experience you have ever had. What led to those events, what guided you the most during that time, and what was the object of your joy?
Resources:
Video: Unconsciously Competent at Being Completely Joyful | Howard Graham
Video: Grow into Greatness This Way | Howard Graham
Survey: Tell Us! How do you want to grow?
Sermon: "I Am The Vine" | Tim Keller
Sermon: "The True Vine" | David Platt
Sermon: "I Am (Part 8) - The Vine" | Kennon Vaughan
Interview with John Piper: "What Does It Mean to Abide in Christ?"
Complete joy is a state of being.
Having complete joy at work displays that you are highly confident in who you are and what you do. Having complete joy at work means knowing who you are and how to use your gifts to the maximum benefit of others.
It’s possible to become unconsciously competent at being full of joy.
Work is challenging and complex. Things don’t always go as planned. Doing the right thing can lead to temporary setbacks and even suffering for you and your team. Coworkers and clients can be difficult and don’t always do their part.
Work is also routine and boring. Things can be too predictable, and the excitement of the daily opportunities can fade. Coworkers and clients get distracted and lose focus.
The key to joy is not the scenario or circumstances of our work. The key to joy is fulfilling the reason we were created by becoming a highly productive bearer of fruit — fruit that lasts — no matter what the circumstances are.
You were made by God to bear maximum fruit, but you can't bear fruit — any fruit — without being assured of what Jesus wants us to know and what Jesus wants us to do.
Followers of Jesus have the opportunity to join God in the very work He is doing — bearing much fruit and becoming unconsciously competent in receiving complete joy in their everyday work.
Knowing + Doing = Being Competent
Previously, we have defined what it means to be fully competent in anything.
Knowing the right things… leads to doing work that blesses others… and when we bless people consistently with prayer and the right motives — becoming like Jesus — we gain the opportunity to talk about Jesus. (See 7 Competencies For Great Work.)
Assurance + Remaining = Being Full Of Joy
An All-Star NBA player dribbles and reads defenses, distributes the ball, and takes great shots — unconsciously — as part of their nature, not having to think too much about how to dribble or the technical details of the defenses. All the years of practicing and playing have made these skills part of who they are.
In a similar way, a follower of Jesus can work with challenging circumstances and lead different types of people, all while being full of joy and passing their joy to others — unconsciously!
To become something requires lots of practice. The key to being full of joy is practicing with the right inputs. The right inputs for being full of joy are knowing who you are and making sure to remain in your Source of life.
Assurance Is Knowing
[.text-color-blue]Knowing you are loved[.text-color-blue] by Jesus as much as the Father loves the Son is the assurance key for a fruitful relationship with God. Jesus makes this promise to you, “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.” - [.no-reftag]John 15:9[.no-reftag]
[.text-color-blue]Knowing you are called[.text-color-blue] by God and when you were called by God (Ephesians 1:4) — before you ever did anything — is assurance of who you are: your identity and destiny in Jesus. Jesus said, “You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.” - [.no-reftag]John 15:3[.no-reftag]
[.text-color-blue]Knowing you are appointed[.text-color-blue] by Jesus is the assurance key to your purpose: to join him in doing the very same work He is doing.
“You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit---fruit that will last---and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.” - [.no-reftag]John 15:16[.no-reftag]
Remaining Is Doing
Your source of life is Jesus. No one does anything of value (John 15:5) without being connected to the Source of life. Jesus tells us exactly how to stay connected to Him for everything we need for life and work. In the ultimate passage on how to grow (John 15:1-11) Jesus tells us 10 times to remain in Him!
[.text-color-blue]Remaining in His love[.text-color-blue] means you do not do anything without the assurance of the love of Jesus. Go back to the above section if you need to, but since you can’t do anything without His love — get assurance before moving forward. “Now remain in my love.” - [.no-reftag]John 15:9b[.no-reftag]
[.text-color-blue]Remaining in His word[.text-color-blue] means keeping your heart, mind, spirit, and actions tethered to His very words. The words of Jesus are full of wisdom, but they are far beyond wisdom, they are the only way to guarantee success (Joshua 1:8) in your work. The words of Jesus provide life (John 1:1-3). We can live on the promises of God, especially these words from Jesus. “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” - [.no-reftag]John 15:7[.no-reftag]
[.text-color-blue]Remaining in His commands[.text-color-blue] means doing what He commands us to do in all of our work for our good, the good of others, and the glory of God (John 15:8).
Jesus said He could do nothing without his Father (John 5:19). The same is true for us. We must follow the commands of Jesus to do work that is valuable for others.
To follow Jesus and be fruitful is to do what He commands. To remain in His love is to do what He says to do. “If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love.” - [.no-reftag]John 15:10[.no-reftag].
Jesus provides the supreme command that is the most useful in work everyday. “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.” - [.no-reftag]John 15:12[.no-reftag]
Being Full of Joy
“I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.” - [.no-reftag]John 15:11[.no-reftag]
Knowing – having complete assurance of Christ’s perfect Love…
+ Doing – Responding to that love by remaining in Him…
= Being filled with joy … joy that fills your life with abundance and gives highest glory to God!
The pushback might be, ‘What about all the challenges, the difficulties, the people who will take advantage of you when you seek the needs of others above your own in love?’
Praise God, Jesus provides a Way for us to follow in suffering too. He demonstrated that love for others will cost us much (John 15:13), but He also shows us that work done in love produces great joy.
This is why we must remain and “fix our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” - [.no-reftag]Hebrews 12:2[.no-reftag]
When you remain in Christ, you become a person filled with complete joy. You become unconsciously competent at living joyfully – you don’t have to worry about whether you know enough or are doing enough, you don’t have to earn it or renovate parts of your life to achieve it.
Joy becomes part of the very fabric of who you are.
It’s the incredible outgrowth of a life lived fully planted in God through His son Jesus – through His love, word, and commands – bringing love, joy, and glory to full fruition in every aspect of your life — especially your work.
Questions to Consider —
- How has knowing exactly who you are in Jesus impacted your work?
- How has remaining in the love, word, and commands of Jesus made you a more effective leader?
- Consider the most joyful work experience you have ever had. What led to those events, what guided you the most during that time, and what was the object of your joy?
Resources:
Video: Unconsciously Competent at Being Completely Joyful | Howard Graham
Video: Grow into Greatness This Way | Howard Graham
Survey: Tell Us! How do you want to grow?
Sermon: "I Am The Vine" | Tim Keller
Sermon: "The True Vine" | David Platt
Sermon: "I Am (Part 8) - The Vine" | Kennon Vaughan
Interview with John Piper: "What Does It Mean to Abide in Christ?"