Seven Marks of a DiscipleSample

Mark Three: A disciple is full of joy and the Holy Spirit.

And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit. —Acts 13:52

In Acts 13, the Holy Spirit led the church leaders in Antioch to set aside Barnabas and Saul—who would soon go by the name of Paul—for a special mission. It was the first of several missionary journeys taken by the Apostle Paul.

Paul and Barnabus enjoyed a fruitful time of ministry, but it didn’t take long before they faced persecution. What’s interesting to observe is that “the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit” even while enduring suffering!

That’s the beauty and power of the Holy Spirit of God: He lives in us and enables us to be different from the world. It doesn’t mean we’re perfect. It just means we’re different from those who don’t know Jesus. We don’t respond to pain, difficulty, or offense with anger, trying to get even, or giving up. The joy given by the Holy Spirit doesn’t depend on circumstances!

When Jesus was about to return to the Father, He told His disciples that He wasn’t going to leave them alone. He was going to send a Comforter to come alongside and help them to remember everything that He said (John 14:26).

As Jesus’ disciples today, it is important to understand the Holy Spirit and His role in our daily lives. What does it mean to be filled with the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18) and led by the Spirit (Romans 8:14)?

The Lord sent the Holy Spirit to fill us with His presence and help us to walk with Him and to live lives characterized by the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22,23) no matter what is going on around us! A disciple is full of joy and the Holy Spirit!