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During Marriage Week (8-15 September 2024), there is a great opportunity to strengthen or rebuild a strong marriage culture within the church and beyond in the community. We can add “fuel” to rekindle a vibrant marriage culture in a society that no longer understands what marriage is, much less what it is for.

During Marriage Week, honour, celebrate and teach God’s design and purpose for marriage. This year, the theme is “The Joy of Marriage” which could be a theme to preach on or use in group settings if you are led that way.

Some have a mixed understanding of the meaning of “joy”, often equating it to happiness.

The words “joy” and “happiness” are often interchanged when describing emotions, but they are very different. Webster’s Dictionary (1828) states this definition of happiness:

“The agreeable sensations which spring from the enjoyment of good; that state of a being in which his desires are gratified, by the enjoyment of pleasure without pain; felicity; but happiness usually expresses less than felicity, and felicity less than bliss. Happiness is comparative…”

They describe joy as:

“The passion or emotion excited by the acquisition or expectation of good; that excitement of pleasurable feelings which is caused by success, good fortune, the gratification of desire or some good possessed, or by a rational prospect of possessing what we love or desire; gladness; exultation; exhilaration of spirits…”

More importantly – Joy is a supernatural Gift from God. Scripture teaches that those that are followers of Jesus, those born again (Jn 3:1-16) are given gifts through the Holy Spirit. Those gifts are “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (Gal 5:22, Rom 15:13).

Furthermore, Nehemiah 8:10 tells us that “the joy of the LORD is your strength!” These gifts are given to all who know Jesus as their Lord and Saviour, and much of this message applies to everyone in the church, whether married or not

Happiness can be experienced by everyone in the world at some time and at some level, the starting point being when something is going right for them. An increase in happiness usually follows, keeping our joy.

Abiding Joy

In John 15:11, Jesus tells us, “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.” (NKJV) It is for us all to seek to ensure that our tank of joy is full and not being siphoned off through our busyness or the world we are in.

Maybe we, as followers of Jesus, should undertake a regular “joy check-up” and then ask ourselves:

1. Do we seek to lead a life that is pleasing to and glorifies God (1 Thessalonians 2:4; Colossians 1:10; Isaiah 43:7-21 and more)
2. Do we love the LORD our God “with all our heart, with all our soul, and with all our mind”? And do we love our neighbour as ourselves? (Matthew 22:37-40)

Some guides on ensuring that the joy of Jesus remains in us and our joy is full:

• To experience the fullness of the “Joy of Marriage”, husband and wife in the covenant relationship of marriage know Jesus as their Saviour and take hold of God’s gift to them, that is “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (Gal 5:22, Rom 15:13) as mentioned above. They should also invite Him to be the centre and foundation of their marriage and family, where they are blessed with children.
• Husband and wife praying together regularly, daily – for their marriage, each other, their wider family…
• Regularly study the Word and have biblical fellowship.
• Seek to follow the guidelines of Psalm 1.
• God’s word is for our good – Deuteronomy 10:12-13.
• Remember also that any disobedience in us will grieve the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:30-32).

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing,
that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. ~ Romans 15:13 (NKJV)

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Republished with thanks to Marriage Australia.