For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Romans 14:17 (NKJV)
God wants you to live a joy-filled life; it’s one of the rewards Jesus gained for you. It’s one of the perks of being in God’s family—the family you became a member of when you began a relationship with Jesus.
That being said, I can think of many Christians who don’t cultivate the joy He provides for their lives. They aren’t living it, and part of the reason is because they’re waiting for it to drop from heaven. Meanwhile, joy is within them! Joy is in you because Holy Spirit is in you. However, you have to choose it.
Of course, we need to believe God loves us to experience this love and joy. What you don’t believe, you don’t experience. For example, my wife could say, I love you a million times, but if I don’t believe it, I won’t experience it.
I might think she just married me for my body, which usually gets people laughing when I say it! But if I truly believe that, she might as well have, because I won’t experience one ounce of her love.
The same is true with God. You need to believe God loves you—yes, you! He loves you completely, immeasurably and unconditionally, and even catching a glimpse of the extent of His love makes your heart jump with joy!
Study scriptures about God’s love and make them personal. For example, read Romans 8:37 and say, I am more than a conqueror through Him who loved ME. And as you meditate on God’s love for you, you will cultivate the incredible joy that comes from being in His presence (Psalm 16:11).