December 24

Happiness vs Joy

Consider it all joy, my brothers and sisters, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.  ––James 1:2-4 NASB

The old chestnut tells us that life is hard, then we die. We begin in the mind of God, and we either die and enter His presence, or the enemy’s. Despite what the world and its religious trends and traditions will tell you, that’s it. Two options. Heaven or hell.

For God’s man who has been saved by the blood of Jesus, the destination question has been answered. Fantastic news! We know that when we pass away, our body will perish, but our spirit will live on with Him. In essence then, once we’ve made our decision to follow Christ, the easy part is over. It’s the living that is difficult.

There’s no way around the fact that life is full of sorrow, frustration, and tragedy. Put differently, just because we love Jesus doesn’t guarantee us a life full of happiness and joy. Here’s how I’d differentiate between the two words:

Happiness is a state of the soul (mind, will, and emotions)—a positive feeling based on temporal circumstances.

Joy is a state of the spirit—a sense of peace based on eternal circumstances and less susceptible to temporal feelings or emotions.

However, I think we’ve demonized “happiness” and in the process, short-circuited much of what life has to offer. Are we guaranteed happiness? No. But on the other hand, happiness is not inherently evil! Particularly if we are walking with God and leading a holy life. In fact, I believe the more we model our life after Jesus, the happier we will be because we’re clearing away the wreckage of the things that once made us miserable: addiction, chasing the dollar, fear of man, etc.

For God’s man, there’s a balance: misery doesn’t necessarily mean we are living a holy life, and happiness doesn’t necessarily mean we are living a sinful life. The Holy Spirit, of course, is the one who can sort it out for us. We find the balance through our time spent with God, in His Word, and with trusted brothers.

Embrace the good times in life—when things are going well and tragedy seems just a concept. But know that when happiness is interrupted by the “hard stuff” of life, it doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve done anything wrong, or that God doesn’t care. That’s where joy comes in: As we mature in Christ and experience growing seasons through painful experiences (is there any other true conduit for growth but through pain?), we learn that He still stands with us. In fact, sometimes when happiness seems far off and I’m going through a particularly hard season, that’s when I feel His joy the most.

In the classic film Tender Mercies, Robert Duvall plays Mac Sledge, a broken down ex-country music star now drifting through west Texas. When happiness finds him—unsuspectingly—he tells his new bride, “I don’t trust happiness. Never have, never will.” That’s not bad advice—just know that while happiness waxes and wanes, joy can be a constant.

Father, in spite of the difficulties in my life, let me enjoy happiness when it comes, and sustenance through the joy that only comes from You.