The beauty of seeking both joy and happiness in Christ

The difference between joy and happiness is substantial. We often assume that the fleeting feeling of happiness, dizzying laughter and contentment in the comforts of life is similar to the joy we feel in Jesus. But joy supernaturally supports our souls in seasons of anguish, injustice and pain. Enduring the valleys of life is almost impossible without the life-giving fuel of joy in Christ.

What is joy?
"I know that my redeemer lives and that he will eventually remain on earth" (Job 19:25).

Merriam Webster defines happiness as "a state of well-being and fulfillment; a pleasant or satisfying experience. ”Considering that joy is specifically declared, even in the dictionary, as“ the emotion evoked by well-being, success or luck or by the prospect of possessing what you want; the expression or display of this emotion. "

The biblical meaning of joy, on the contrary, is not a fleeting sensation with worldly roots. The best personification of biblical joy is the story of Job. He was stripped of every good thing he had on this earth, but he never lost his faith in God. Job knew that his experience was unjust and did not cover up the pain. His conversations with God were frank, yet he never forgot who God was. Job 26: 7 says: “Widen the northern skies in empty space; suspend the earth for nothing. "

Joy is rooted in who God is. "The Spirit of God made me;" Job 33: 4 says: "the breath of the Almighty gives me life." Our Father is righteous, compassionate and omniscient. His ways are not our ways and his thoughts are not our thoughts. We are wise to pray that our plans align with His, not just to ask God to bless our intentions. Job possessed the wisdom to know the character of God and the strong faith to hold back what he knew to do it.

This is the difference between happiness and biblical joy. Although our lives seem to collapse and we may have every right to fly the victim's flag, we choose instead to put our lives into the skilled hands of the Father, our Defender. Joy is not fleeting, and it does not end in passionate circumstances. Remains. "The Spirit gives us eyes to see the beauties of Jesus that bring joy from our hearts," wrote John Piper.

What is the difference between joy and happiness?

The difference in the biblical definition of joy is the source. Earthly possessions, achievements, even people in our lives, are blessings that make us happy and fuel joy. However, the source of all joy is Jesus. God's plan from the beginning, the Word made flesh to dwell among us is solid as a rock, allowing us to navigate difficult situations in the absence of happiness, while supporting our joy.

Happiness is more of a mental state, while joy is emotionally rooted in our faith in Christ. Jesus experienced all the pain, physically and emotionally. Pastor Rick Warren says that "joy is the constant certainty that God has control over all the details of my life, the calm confidence that in the end everything will be fine and the determined choice to praise God in any situation".

Joy allows us to trust God in our daily lives. Happiness is attached to the blessings of our lives. They are laughter for a funny joke or happiness in reaching a goal for which we have worked hard. We are happy when our loved ones surprise us, on our wedding day, when our children or grandchildren are born and when we have fun with friends or among our hobbies and passions.

There is no bell curve for joy as there is happiness. In the end, we stop laughing. But joy supports our fleeting reactions and feelings. "Put simply, biblical joy is choosing to respond to external circumstances with inner contentment and satisfaction because we know that God will use these experiences to do his work in and through our lives," writes Mel Walker for Christinaity.com. Joy allows us to have the prospect of being grateful and happy, but also to survive the times of trial by reminding us that we are still loved and cared for, regardless of the direction in which our daily life goes. "Happiness is external", explains Sandra L. Brown, MA, "It is based on situations, events, people, places, things and thoughts".

Where does the Bible speak of joy?

"Consider it pure joy, brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of various kinds" (James 1: 2).

Trials of many types are not joyful themselves. But when we understand who God is and how he works all for the good, we experience the joy of Christ. Joy trusts who God is, our abilities and the complications of this world.

James continued, “because you know that testing your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish his work so that you can be mature and complete, you will not miss anything "(James 1: 3-4). So keep writing about wisdom and asking God when we miss him. Wisdom allows us to wade through trials of many types, back to who God is and who we are for Him and in Christ.

Joy appears more than 200 times in the English Bible, according to David Mathis of Desiring God. Paul wrote to the Thessalonians: “Always be joyful, pray continually, thank in all circumstances; for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus ”(1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18). Paul himself tortured Christians before he became one, and then endured all kinds of torture because of the gospel. He spoke from experience when he told them to always be joyful, and then he gifted them with how to: pray continually and thank in all circumstances.

Remembering who God is and what He has done for us in the past, reorienting our thoughts to align them with His truth and choosing to be grateful and praise God - even in difficult times - is powerful. It ignites the same Spirit of God that lives in every believer.

Galatians 5: 22-23 reads: "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, sweetness and self-control". We are unable to activate any of these things under any circumstances of support without the same Spirit of God in us. It is the source of our joy, which makes it impossible to suppress it.

God wants us to be happy?

“The thief comes only to steal, kill and destroy; I have come so that they may have life and have it fully ”(John 10:10).

Our Savior Jesus defeated death so that we could live free. God not only wants us to be happy, but we experience the joy that sustains and fully sustains life in the love of Christ. "The world believes and feels deeply - we all do it in our carnal nature - it is pleasant to be served - really pleasant," explains John Piper. “But he's not blessed. It is not joyful. It is not deeply sweet. It is not incredibly satisfying. It is not wonderfully rewarding. No it is not."

God blesses us only because he loves us, in an extravagant and loving way. Sometimes, in a way we only know that he knew we needed his help and strength. Yes, when we are in the mountain moments of our lives, barely able to believe that we are living something beyond our wildest dreams - even dreams that require a lot of hard work on our part - we can look up and know that he smiles at us, sharing our happiness. The scriptures say his plans for our lives are more than we could ever ask for or imagine. It's not just happiness, it's joy.

How can we choose joy in our life?

"Enjoy the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart" (Psalm 37: 4).

Joy is ours for the taking! In Christ, we are free! Nobody can take away that freedom. And with it come the fruits of the Spirit - among them joy. When we live life in the love of Christ, our lives are no longer ours. We try to bring glory and honor to God in everything we do, trusting in His specific purpose for our lives. We welcome God in our daily life, through prayer, reading his Word and deliberately noting the beauty of his creation around us. We love the people he has put into our lives and experience the same love as others. The joy of Jesus flows through our lives as we become a channel of living water that flows towards all those who are witnesses of our lives. Joy is a product of life in Christ.

A prayer to choose joy
Father,

Today we pray to experience Your joy in FULL! We are COMPLETELY FREE in Christ! Remember us and reorient our thoughts when we forget this solid truth! Far beyond the fleeting feeling of happiness, your joy sustains us, through laughter and sorrows, trials and celebrations. You are with us through all this. A true friend, a faithful father and an incredible adviser. You are our defender, our joy, peace and truth. Thanks for grace. Bless our hearts to be shaped by your compassionate hand, day by day, as we look forward to hugging you in heaven.

In the name of Jesus,

Amen.

Embrace both

There is a big difference between joy and happiness. Happiness is a reaction to something big. Joy is the product of someone exceptional. We never forget the difference, nor do we fully enjoy the happiness and joy on this earth. Jesus died to erase guilt and shame. Every day we come to him by grace, and he is faithful to give us grace upon grace upon grace. When we are ready to confess and forgive, we can move forward in the freedom of a life of repentance in Christ.