Workers For Your Joy—a new series through 2 Corinthians

Workers For Your Joy

2 Corinthians

I have the settled purpose of promoting your highest good and joy (Verbrugge). 



I want my life to be marked with joy. I want that for you as well. Searching through the Word, we discover it has a lot to say about joy and rejoicing. As citizens of the heavenly kingdom, joy is our privilege and it is a command to obey. Thankfully, it is not a joy we must generate on our own. It is His joy in us. His Spirit residing in us produces the fruit of joy. This joy is the overflow of our heart yielded to His Word and His Spirit, trusting His providence in all things. That particular disposition enables us to then count everything as joy, including the various trials and afflictions of this life, even those that seem to overwhelm us. So joy is a privilege, a fruit of His grace at work in us, and something for which we labor together, which Paul states in 2 Corinthians.

    When Paul wrote 2 Corinthians, he did so out of deep love for them and a deep concern for them. There were some who were questioning his apostleship, his love for them, his trustworthiness and sincerity. In his letter, Paul demonstrates an affection for the Corinthians that springs from his heart. One thing that recently stood out to me near the end of chapter one is Paul says, “…we are workers with you for your joy.” For their joy, Paul was their co-laborer.  For their joy, Paul was their helper. Paul told them that one of his purposes in all his interactions with them was to help them to have joy. More joy. Abundant joy. His teaching, his influence in their lives, his encouragement, and his admonishment were all intended to increase their joy. He declared, “I have the settled purpose of promoting your highest good and joy.” This settled purpose reflects our Savior’s purpose for us as well. God is always orchestrating our lives in such a way as to bring about our highest good and joy. So, not only should we be striving together to help one another increase in joy as Paul was doing, but God Himself is working for our joy. With these examples before me, I desire to be that person who is helping those around me, including those who read these posts, to know more of the joy of the Lord. I want to be able to say at the end of the day about those with whom I have interacted, “I was working together with them for their joy.” This desire has inspired this new series through 2 Corinthians. 

    As I was finishing the series on the Psalms, I prayed about what to study and write about next. Sensing the need for more of His joy displayed in my life, I decided to work through 2 Corinthians with the aim of looking for and pursuing joy. Joy is not a main theme of 2 Corinthians. But it is there giving strength to the afflicted, overflowing in liberality from the destitute, and intimately intertwined amongst the believers. With that goal in mind, by God’s grace, this next series will take us through 2 Corinthians in pursuit of joy, an eternal joy manifested in our mortal lives.  My aim for this series is to remind us of the reasons we have for joy, both eternal and temporal. To help us focus our gaze on the eternal things in order that our experience of joy in the here and now is increased. 

    Ultimately, I want others, when they have been with me, to walk away refreshed, encouraged, renewed. That’s what I want to encourage in you as well. Becoming that person, being that person in an ongoing way, will not just happen. Abiding in Christ, we will take on the image of Christ, and in doing so, His joy, His life, His fragrance will exude from us. This is a journey to joy. A fight for joy. There are times in life when joy seems elusive. Where the fullness of joy that is ours in Christ (John 17:13) wanes, or seems to. However, as believers, our joy is an indestructible joy. Our joy deepens throughout this life and finds its climax in eternity. Let’s join together laboring together for that deep, inexpressible joy. Let’s be the catalyst for someone else to have more joy and more reason for rejoicing. Let’s live and interact in such a way that we could say of one another, “That brother/sister helps me have and know more of the joy of Christ.” By His grace and for His glory, may He mark us with His joy.

Our journey-to-joy focus: be intentional about helping others have joy through our words of encouragement and comfort, our smile and gracious demeanor, or another way that would minister joy to them. In so doing, our own joy will be increased. 

Photo credit to priscilladupreez

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