Good morning ladies and gentlemen! How are you all doing? How has your week been so far? Are you enjoying it? Are you making the most out of it? Have you started practicing some of these things God has revealed to us? Are you trusting God in more things; in all aspects of your life? Are you opening up to listen to God? Do you notice the encouragement God gives you every day? Even if you have not experienced all three, I believe that you are experiencing at least one. If you are not at all, that’s okay. It is a process. It is not always easy to reduce yourself and put God higher. I am praying that the Holy Spirit directs you and gives you the strength to go through this change. Amen.
Today, we are going to look at happiness and joy. We would be comparing these two to see the differences and maybe their similarities. To begin, let us look over at the dictionary and look for the meaning of joy and of happiness. From the Oxford dictionary, happiness is described as the state of feeling or showing pleasure. It also says that happiness is the state of being satisfied that something is good or right. The Oxford dictionary then goes on to define joy as a feeling of great pleasure and happiness. Even with the dictionary’s definition, it is easy to come up with some similarities and difference.
The major difference between these two are mainly what they are. Happiness is a state, whilst joy is a feeling. These two words make a huge difference. Happiness is a temporary thing because it is a state. It is dependent on an event, or other external influences such as someone’s words, smell or even the weather. Joy is a more permanent version. This is something that is intrinsic. This is brought about by self- motivation. This is why when you are feeling joyous and someone/ something annoys you, you easily override it.
The similarities between these two are that they both give you great pleasure. Yup! When you are happy or joyous, everything is pleasing to you. However, for happiness this pleasing state is very short.
Now as Christians, the question is “Are you happy or joyous?” This is an important question because as Christians the Bible tells us in Nehemiah 8: 10c that, “Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength!” As a Christian, Joy is comes from the Lord. The intrinsic motivation needed is found when we become a part of Christ. This is because when we are in Christ we are a new creation. When we are in Christ, we are in sync with God. Our purpose and our goal in life is in Christ. God is full of love, full of peace, full of joy and strength. If our joy is in Him, then we get to experience some of these virtues.
When we are full of joy, not only does it replicate in the physical (by smiling and being in a good mood) but also in the spiritual. The light/aura around you begins to grow brighter and the enemy stays far away from you. Do you know why? When you are joyful in the Lord, you begin to listen to God better. You become more dedicated to Him. You become more willing and focused in your work for God. Lastly, you become aligned with God’s principles and you obey them. All these make to a more equipped Christian, ready for any battle that comes your way.
Currently, there are many Christians who are happy. This is good, but like we situated before happiness is seasonal/ temporary. You see a lot of Christians happy when things go the way in which they had anticipated. A lot of Christians experience this because they have high expectations of their walk with Christ to be very simple. However, this is not the case. God never promised us that this walk would be easy. They tend to get disappointed at themselves and at God when they are faced with the smallest difficulties. Are you such a luck warm Christian? If you are, you have to change. The enemy targets people like this. Do you know why? This is because such a Christian has a lot of uncertainties. Such a Christian, most at times, does not know the Word; thus s/he can be easily influenced by something that seems seemingly Christ-like.
Do not worry! If you are ready to come out of this state, the Holy Spirit is ready to help you. All you need to do is to call upon Him and He will help you. Make the decision now, God awaits you with open arms. He is ready to embrace you. So now is the time to deliberate, “Are you happy or joyful in the Lord?”
Take note that, when you are joyful, happiness is one of the many states you experience to express this feeling. However, when you are happy, you can never feel joyful. Assess your life and make the necessary decisions to draw closer to God and the emptiness in your heart will be filled with joy. Hallelujah!
Have a wonderful day and let God inspire you!