Do you use the words “happy” and “joyful” interchangeably?  Could there be a difference between being “happy” and being “full of joy?”  I suggest to you there is a difference.  What makes you happy? Some people say that working at the right job makes them happy.  Others say that marrying the right person makes them happy.  If having the right job or the right marriage makes you happy, why aren’t you happy 100% of the time? Statistics show that 60% of people in the U.S. will experience depression as the result of a minor setback or major crisis.  Yet I know individuals that are “joyful” even when they face major adversity.  Why?

There are myths that surround happiness.  Some people “look for happiness” through intentional activities – buying a new car, taking a vacation.  Others believe that if their circumstances would change, they would be happy.  Some even believe you are born happy or you aren’t.  For those individuals, happiness is expressed on the outside. How is joy different?  Joy manifests on the inside and is tied to something that can’t be taken away.  God is our only source of joy.  When you choose joy, regardless of your circumstances, you are deciding that God knows your future and will use everything that happens to you for good.  Nehemiah 8:10 says, “The joy of the Lord is your strength.”              Psalm 2:12 encourages us to take refuge in God for we will have joy.  Psalm 19:8, “The commandments of the Lord are right, bringing joy to the heart.” “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, and faithfulness” (Galatians 5:22). Kay Warren eloquently said, “Joy is taking the internal to the eternal,  to expression on the external.”

It is not easy to be joyful when our conditions are not the best. But joy is a choice.  How you choose to move through your circumstances determines your state of mind.  This is not to say that we are not sad or distressed when a loved one passes, or we get ill, or lose our job; but we don’t allow ourselves to lose our inner joy, which maintains our hope in a blessed future for God is our strength and our shield.  When we trust in Him, and have faith and obedience to Him, He helps us, and our hearts are filled with joy (Psalm 28:7).  Paul is an example of living a joyful life, even when he was in prison. In Philippians 2:17 he says, “But I will rejoice even if I lose my life, pouring it out like a liquid offering to God, just like your faithful service is an offering to God.  And I want all of you to share that joy.”

So the next time you are disappointed or sad, be with that natural emotion.  But do not let your circumstance deprive you of your inner joy that leads to a life of hope and peace.  Pray for strength and guidance from the Holy Spirit, and you will find what you need.

I have told you this so that my joy may be in
you and that your joy may be complete.
John 15:11