1 John 1:4
And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.

It is unfortunate, but many today associate serving Christ with bearing a large burden, or carrying a heavy weight. As if we serve Christ because we should, but we struggle through it and secretly wish we didn't have to.

But John is writing this letter so that the joy may be complete. There is some disagreement over how the original language read: whether is was "that our joy may be complete" or "that your joy may be complete." In either case, however, the focal point is joy. How is joy completed? Through fellowship with the Father and His Son Jesus Christ.

In the same way, John 15:8-17 tells us that our joy is completed as we follow Christ. It is our obedience to Jesus that brings joy. Because those who are in Christ know that obedience isn't what earns us acceptance from God or secures our eternal place with him. No, we do not obey in order to be accepted, but we gladly and willingly obey because we have been accepted. When we think of all God has done for us, most clearly through Jesus Christ, then our desire is to obey out of gratitude.

Serving Christ to earn merit is nothing but burdensome. We are literally crushed under the weight of the law and our inability to keep it. Yet serving Christ out of gratitude for his salvation is the source of joy in our lives. If a Christian has no joy in their life, it might be due to sin, or disobedience. The way to make joy complete in our lives is not by trying to capture an emotional feeling or sensation, but through deliberate obedience to His Word.