Essentials

Spiritual Skill: Joy (wk. 13/13)

Reading: Galatians 5:13-26

Over the past few months, I found myself going down what you might call a slippery slope. Friends warned me it would be hard to quit once I started. Despite all the signs, I pressed send on my first offer on Facebook marketplace for a barbell and my home gym journey started. Of course, I had to consult my wife first and ensure at least one car could still park in there—because I hadn't completely lost control. Yet.

From that moment on, the algorithm on my devices went into overdrive, bombarding me with ads for home gym equipment and DIY buildouts. Suddenly, I was knee-deep in decisions like whether I should purchase a yoke or a reverse hyper machine. I quickly realized I was going to run out of space if I bought too much. That's when it hit me, a home gym doesn’t need to be grand; it just needs to get the job done. Sometimes, all you need is one dumbbell rather than a power rack or a yoga mat instead of a Pilates reformer. The essential piece of home gym equipment is the one you’ll actually use.

Just like an obsession with gym equipment, we tend to miss the essentials of building joy because we are so focused on the "more." We'll find ourselves buying so much other equipment, filling our lives with so many other things, that the one thing we needed for joy is what we had all along. Only now, it's collecting dust, left to become a clothing rack in the corner of the garage. It's because we buy into the lie that the more we have, the more satisfied we'll be. A new hobby, a new gadget, a new goal. But joy doesn’t come from accumulation; it comes from understanding and embracing the grace we’ve already been given in Christ.

Paul understood this well and was adamant about keeping non-essentials out of the gospel. In Galatians, he addressed the church’s tendency to add extra requirements to grace, like insisting on circumcision for salvation. Clinging to old covenant traditions blinded them from the freedom found in the new covenant of grace. What’s non-essential cannot coexist with what is essential for true life transformation in Christ. Grace alone is what saves and sustains our joy.

When we base our happiness on external things, we become trapped in a cycle of "if-when" thinking. If I get the promotion, then I’ll have time for my family. When I get married, then I’ll deal with my private struggles. If I buy the right gym equipment, then I’ll finally take my health seriously. We’re no longer free but prisoners of our own system.

Paul reminds us in Galatians 5:13 that we are called to be free. True freedom isn’t found in striving for more; it’s found in the simplicity of grace. It’s not about what you add to your life but about living out of the abundance of what Christ has already given you. Just like your home gym, your spiritual fitness doesn’t need the clutter of the law outside of grace. Your church attendance won't offer you more credit with God. Tithing because you're hoping you'll receive more financial blessing will lead to discontentment. Reading your Bible just to win an argument over the Christian you believe is in error will only make more of a Pharisee of yourself. While all these things are important to our spiritual fitness, without grace we are just slaves to our own making. The essentials of the gospel rest on grace because if we were good enough to save ourselves, we wouldn't need Jesus our Savior.

I believe to build joy we first need to declutter our lives and refocus on what truly matters—grace. Joy isn’t about adding more; it’s about living in the abundance of the life Christ has already given us through His sacrifice on the cross. Second, practice gratitude. Take time each day to thank God for the blessings in your life. Gratitude shifts our focus from what we lack to what we have. Third, find someone you can serve. Joy is often found in giving because we can shift our focus less on ourselves and more on the heart of God. Fourth, live in the present. Let go of “if-when” thinking and find contentment in the now. The opportunities God is showing you could be right in your garage. Lastly, stay connected to God through prayer, worship, and His Word. These practices keep us grounded in the essentials and remind us of the freedom and joy we have in Christ.

So, whether you’re figuring out if that treadmill is worth the garage space or wondering how to find more joy, remember this: true freedom and joy don’t come from what you add but from who Christ already is in your life. Keep it simple, keep it essential, and let grace do the heavy lifting.

Questions for Reflection:

What are the “essential” exercises in your spiritual workouts?

Where have you tried to find joy, only to come up short?

How would you explain the concept of joy to a child?