The Secret Hidden in Abiding

“These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.” – John 15:11

Years ago, I met someone who had an entire basement filled with LEGO sets. Every wall was lined with shelves of LEGO models. He had tables filled with real city replicas and even had a functining spaceship. He had built a miniature world in his basement.

What amazed me wasn’t the size of the collection, but how he talked about it.

He said, “You know, the joy isn’t in filling the whole room. It’s in building each piece.”

That statement has stayed with me. Because so often, we think joy comes when we finally finish something. In this case, when the room is fulled. In other situations when the task is done or the goal is reached.

However, Jesus points to something different. The joy He offers is not found in completion. It is found in connection.

When Jesus said, “that My joy may remain in you,” He was not describing a fleeting emotion. He was offering His own joy. The same joy that carried Him through long days, painful rejection, and even the cross itself (Hebrews 12:2).

His joy did not depend on comfort or success. It flowed from His continual closeness to the Father. That same relationship is what He invites us into. The kind of joy that remains is not built on circumstances but on communion. (This is the same expereince that Paul grew into when he declaired, "I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.") Phil 4:11-13

Joy is not something we achieve. It is something we receive when we stay close to Christ. It becomes the quiet assurance that says, “Even here, even now, I am not disconnected.”

The kind of joy Jesus speaks of is often formed slowly. Think again of those LEGO creations. Each one begins with a single piece, then another, then another. The joy isn’t found in the moment you step back and admire the finished city, although that is good. Joy is found in the process of shaping it, piece by piece. Enjoyment in the actually construction process.

Modern research actually affirms this truth. A 2025 study in the Journal of Happiness Studies found that small, daily moments of enjoyment, like time with family, quiet reflection, or laughter, have a stronger connection to lasting well-being than major life events. Similarly, the University of California, San Francisco’s “Big JOY Project” discovered that people who practiced small, intentional acts of joy each day, such as gratitude or kindness, experienced measurable reductions in stress and increases in resilience. (See references below.)

It seems that science is catching up with what Jesus taught all along. Real joy is not the sum of a few big moments. It is the sum of countless little ones.

When we slow down enough to remain in Christ, adbide in Him as the language of John 15:5 uses, through prayer, Scripture, or worship, we begin to notice the beauty of those small pieces. Each one becomes a moment where His presence shapes our reality of joy.

The opposite of joy is not sadness. It is separation. We lose joy when we live hurried and distracted lives. We lose joy when we disconnected. The world around us teaches that we’ll find happiness when we achieve something great. But Jesus teaches that joy comes through continual connection with Him. (And with others.)

He never said, “I told you these things so that you would be productive.” He said, “I told you these things so that My joy may remain in you.” (John 15:11)

Joy that lasts only grows from a heart that abides.

How Joy Grows;

• Through Dependence: Joy begins when we stop striving to impress God and simply rest in His love.

• Through Obedience: Joy deepens when we align our choices with His will, not as a burden, but as a delight.

• Through Presence: Joy strengthens when we pause long enough to notice God’s nearness in ordinary moments.

If abiding keeps us connected to the Source of life, then joy is the proof that the connection is alive and strong. We can fake busyness, but we cannot fake peace. We can follow routines, but we cannot manufacture lasting joy. It's not just a future joy, but a day-by-day joy that comes from being connected to Him.

So perhaps the real question is not, “Am I doing enough for God?” but “Am I staying close to Him?”

Ask yourself that question today. "What have you done to ensure you are close to Him?"

Jesus came to make us more than active believers. He came to make us joyful belieivers. The deep, steady joy He promised is not the product of grand achievements, but the fruit of thousands of small moments lived with Him.

Friends, today, may you, "Abide in Him...that His joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.” (John 15:11, Adam's Translation.)

References

• Kim, J., et al. (2025). Small but Certain Happiness in Daily Life: Structure and Relation with Well-Being. Journal of Happiness Studies.

• The Big JOY Project, University of California, San Francisco (2025). “Too Busy to Focus on Your Happiness? Try Daily Micro-Acts of Joy.” ucsf.edu

• Kahneman, D. (1999). The Focusing Illusion and Happiness. Princeton University.