Joy is one word that gives the heart of men hope and excitement. It is what everyone wants. People are willing to pay the price to get it. Parents name their children Joy for various reasons.
In times like this, especially the crisis the world is currently going through, the word joy is a scarce word
you hear on the lips of men.
There is burnout in people, energy is lost. People just exist because they still
breathe in oxygen and breathe out carbon dioxide. People are making efforts to get themselves into the world of excitement and rejuvenation. They go to gym, go on holiday, have therapy sessions. Yet they feel listless. All their world’s vibrant colors and textures have sludged into a grey mist
A lot of times people interchangably use joy and happiness. It is important to know the difference
between being happy and having joy:
- Happiness depends on external factors to exist. Happiness happens to us. Joy, on the other hand, is a
choice purposefully made. - Joy is an attitude of the heart and spirit, present inside of us as an untapped reservoir of potential.
- It’s possible to feel joy in difficult times. Joy doesn’t need a smile in order to exist. Joy can share its
space with other emotions – sadness, shame or anger. Happiness can’t. - Happiness is not present in darkness and difficulty. Joy never leaves it. Joy undergirds our spirits; it
brings to life peace and contentment. - Happiness is also fickle. It can be present for weeks on end and gone in an instant. Joy is constant.
- Joy is an inner feeling. Happiness is an outward expression.
- Joy endures hardship and trials and connects with meaning and purpose.
- Joy is of the soul. Happiness is of the moment.
- Happiness is an emotion in which we “experience feelings ranging from contentment and satisfaction to bliss and intense pleasure,” whereas joy “is a stronger, less common feeling than happiness.” We experience joy when we achieve selflessness to the point of personal sacrifice. We feel joy when we are
spiritually connected to God or people. The joy referred to here is deeper than mere happiness; it is rooted in God and comes from Him. Since it comes from God, it is more serene and stable than worldly happiness, which is merely emotional and
lasts only for a time.
Genuine Christian joy is not the power of positive thinking. Joy is not a bubbly, optimistic personality. Joy is not being happy because life is going my way. It is the joy of seeing, knowing, loving, and trusting Jesus Christ. We cannot generate this true joy ourselves — it is the product of the Holy Spirit in us (Galatians 5:22). Joy is a glorious gladness and deep delight in the person of Jesus Christ.
Most people expect a joyful life to come from their circumstances – their work, friends, houses, kids,
spouses…
But that is where the problem starts. When they are unhappy and don’t feel joyful they are too often
blaming others for their unhappiness. It may be the spouse, it may be that situation at work that is so
frustrating and constantly sours their mood.
Neither your family or friends nor your circumstances can guarantee you joy – only God can!
If your soul is satisfied in Christ, you will rejoice in Christ. Take your eyes off Christ, and you’ll lose your joy. Christian joy is a measure of your spiritual life. Joy is not a slave to circumstances. The light of Jesus’s face shines in the darkest night.
The ability to feel and show joy doesn’t come from the favorable circumstances of our human lives; it comes from God.
The Bible says God gives us joy and peace. It tells us that real joy comes from God and is ours forever. The joy that is found in God’s presence isn’t static; it transforms and regenerates us.