After Jesus had been talking to his disciples of the necessity of their abiding in him.—living close to his teachings and keeping the commandments he had given them, even as he had kept the Father's commandments,—he went on to say, "These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full." When he thus referred to joy, he touched upon one of the most important factors in successful work of any kind, and manifestly of that which pertains to spiritual accomplishment. Without the element of joy any work would finally become spiritless, wearisome, unsuccessful. Joyless work always lacks spontaneity of right activity, and must finally die of its own inanition.
Now, true joy is a spiritual quality, and touches the heart to ever greater appreciation of spiritual good. It begins its blessings very early in the effort of Christian Scientists to keep the commandments. No least endeavor to obey but has its just proportion of joy, since nothing so fills the honest heart with peace and pure satisfaction as does the consciousness of rightly obeying. A wise writer once said, "When we speak of joy it is not something we are after, but something that will come to us when we are after God and duty." So joy is always a reward. It never comes unearned. To be truly joyful one's heart must be clean and pure, must be seeking for the things which really satisfy. And what can satisfy but the recognition and demonstration in some degree at least of one's unity with God, divine good? No understanding of real good but brings the light of joy with it.
While this is all true, joy at the same time must be cherished very diligently or it will seem to fly away. It cannot abide with ingratitude. To be unconscious of good would mean to be joyless; therefore, recognition of and gratitude for God's gifts must precede the consciousness of true joy. One must also be awake to its presence as a spiritual fact, or it will seem to disappear. In other words, like all spiritual qualities it must be loved and appreciated, or one will not be aware of its presence. Joy is also a childlike quality. Who has not been charmed with the spontaneous joyfulness of little children? And why do we so often find in them this lovely gladness? Is it not because of their freedom from anxious thinking, from false responsibility; and, above all, because of the absence of sordid selfishness? Like other spiritual good, joy's greatest enemy is selfishness.
