Maybelle Crabtree here. The US Constitution guarantees us the right to pursue happiness. But what about joy? Do we have a right to pursue that? Why can’t we seem to find joy? And why can’t happiness be enough? Sometimes the pursuit of happiness can lead to emptiness and an unsatisfied life. The problem is we confuse joy with happiness. Joy, as the second element of the Fruit of the Spirit (click here for first post on FOTS and click here for FOTS-Love post), comes from the Greek word, chara, which is a feeling of inner gladness, delight, or rejoicing. Joy comes from within; a condition of the heart. Happiness, on the other hand, is a feeling; an emotion. One definition for it is a pleasurable or satisfying experience. It depends on something good happening. You cannot always be happy but you can always have joy!.
Happiness
Don’t get me wrong, God wants us to experience happy times. Ecclesiastes 3:12-13 states, “People should be happy and do good while they live. I know there’s no thing better for them to do than that. Each of them should eat and drink. People should be satisfied with all their hard work. That is God’s gift to them.” (NIRV) Therefore, happiness comes from getting something; a gift from God.
You see, happiness is mostly about “me.” It is self-satisfying, self-serving. Indulging in small pleasures, getting absorbed in challenging activities, setting and meeting goals, maintaining close social ties, and find a purpose can make us happy because we are getting something we want. Too many people are waiting for their happiness to happen. It’s a kind of waiting gain – when I’m rich and successful, when I get married, when I have kids, when I have a better job, when I finally move to that bigger house then I’ll be happy. Some of the most successful people are also some of the most unhappiest people. They are looking outside, at the physical world to supply their needs and believe happiness is what is missing in their lives when it is really joy that is missing.
Joy
Joy, on the other hand, comes from giving and serving. It is our gift to God, a part of a strong foundation which leads to gratitude, contentment, optimism, and a sense of freedom. True joy does not come from what we do, it comes from what’s going on inside of us. It doesn’t come from favorable circumstances in our lives; but from God. We cannot lose joy anymore than we can lose God. Joy leads to a cheerful heart which leads to a cheerful behavior. Unconditional joy is God’s greater desire for us.
Joy is an inner confidence that can withstand any circumstance we are confronted with in life. Death, divorce, unemployment, illness, graduations, marriages, births can all be joyful moments regardless of whether we’re happy or not. All these events are temporary situations and the feelings that come with them are fleeting. But joy can be permanent if you want it to be. It all depends on a change of thinking and is a life-long struggle with the mind.
Furthermore, joy is a choice, a decision. Are you a victim of your circumstances or the hero in your life story? Are you a child of God or a child of the earth? Do you walk alone or is Jesus by your side every step of the way? With Jesus walking with you and God watching over you, how can you not find the joy? It’s there. You just need to look. It’s the light awaiting you at the end of the tunnel and the song in your heart. Joy never leaves you once it is in you.
Joy versus Happiness
Joy lasts forever and happiness is short-lived
Joy transforms and regenerates us while happiness leaves us feeling empty.
Happiness is the ego while joy is bigger than the ego.
Happiness is fleeting while joy is constant
Joy is content and happiness wants more.
Joy is unshakeable while happiness lives on shaky ground.
How to Have More Joy
And just like love isn’t love until it’s given away, joy has to be demonstrated. How can we do that? Eddie Foster on the website, lifehopeandtruth.com, shares three examples of how to have more joy in your life and spread it to others:
1) List as many physical and spiritual blessings as you can think of. Strive to have a spirit of gratefulness and excitement about everything you have been given.
2) Remind yourself to continually think about the benefits of God’s way versus Satan’s way. Compare the world that is now to the way the world will be at Christ’s return.
3) Text, write, or call others with encouraging phrases, scripture quotes, or even funny comments, knowing that the joy in God’s blessings and truths is contagious with believers.
When thoughts of despair and discouragement enter your mind, you have the power of joy to chase them away. You are stronger than any dark thought could ever be. Joy will give you peace of mind. Look for the joy. It comes from God. When you find it, express it and greater peace and harmony will be yours. Joy is a spiritual connection between us and God and other people. We experience joy when we experiences selflessness to the point of personal sacrifice. We have joy when we are acting toward someone else’s well-being. Ultimately, joy is selfless serving.
So what are you doing in the world that is causing you joy? Where does your joy come from? Leave a comment below and let’s discuss it.
This requires a lot of introspection and a lot of work. This is a good time for planning and reorganizing my life with God truly in the center.
This is a great time for all of us to reorganize our lives so that God is front and center! No time like the present. Thank you for your thoughts.
The joy-maker in my life is the precious relationship I have with my four granddaughters as all four become teens and tweens. None live close (1 family in Northern California and the other in Sydney, Australia) but I feel the closeness when we talk, text, and zoom and, of course, when they visit me. They’re growing up with such openness about their feelings, challenges, and accomplishments. It’s bringing me absolute joy. I know their resilience is being challenged because of the pandemic that is raging around us. They are rightly concerned that their education and their enjoyment of this time in their lives are being short-changed. But they are strong and brave. I thank God every day for them.