Fullness of Joy in Fellowship

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full. (1 John 1:1-4)

John and the other apostles had a firsthand encounter with Jesus, the Living Word, and he wanted the church to share in what they experienced— a genuine relationship with the Lord. He didn’t want their faith to be founded on stories of others, but on their own personal relationship with Jesus. The core of what John was teaching the church was about fellowship with God. In fact, the Greek word for fellowship is koinonia and more perfectly means partnership. This fellowship is not just socially gathering or connecting; it means sharing life with Jesus and being a part of what He is a part of.

John explained that when Christians partake in this type of partnership, our joy can be full. The Greek word for full is pleroo and it means complete, satisfied, or even overflowing. It presents the idea of cramming a net so full of fish that there isn’t room for anything else. John’s desire was for Christians’ joy to be packed to the brim and spilling over on every side.

God wants our lives to be so full of joy that it spills over onto those near us, but that cannot happen without a personal relationship with Jesus. Relationships grow with time and communication. So, any time you invest talking to God in prayer, reading His Word, and fellowshipping with other believers is a wise investment that will pay off with a deeper relationship with the Lord.

Is there a lack of joy in your faith? Maybe you have neglected time with God or time with other believers. Adjust your schedule to make sure it includes prayer, Bible study and time in church so that your joy may be full!