Beyond Happiness

Galatians 5:22 – “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy...”

 The word joy is commonly compared to happiness, but let me tell you that joy is much much more than happiness.  In fact, happiness is temporary and subject to change.  For example, you may be having the best day of your LIFE and someone comes up to you and says, “Hey, you look really stupid and bad today, I wonder, have you looked in the mirror at yourself?  You’re a big failure.  Or how about your ’91 Dodge shadow that you’re driving out there that sounds like a herd of squealing pigs when you’re driving?  That must be so embarrassing, especially if you’re anywhere in town, they can hear your hunk of junk miles away.  Yea, you’re an idiot”.  Now, I don’t know about you, but happiness would probably grow wings and fly right out the window for me if someone said that to me and meant it, but here’s where the difference between joy and happiness comes in.  What’s very important about joy is that it is a choice.  Now what that person said has come to rob you of your joy.  One of the normal reactions would be to take your fist and pop them in the face, but the reaction should be one like this – “I don’t care what you say, I won’t accept that to myself.  You are entitled to your opinion, but I won’t get hurt by it”.  Here’s the thing…You will never make every person happy, you will never look good to every person, and you must accept that!  Knowing that will take the pressure off of you.  The big thing is to make the choice to ignore those words that have come to you.  Yes, you have heard them, and once you have heard them you are faced with two choices – You can either take those words to yourself and get offended, or you can shun those words and keep a good attitude.  It is definitely not an easy choice, but it has benefits;  You won’t lose your joy!  And it’s hard to bring someone down when their joy can’t be taken away.  There’s a positive aura about them, you’ll notice.  Why?  Joy!  That person can’t be brought down!  Now happiness is found in joy, joyful people are happy people.  But if something comes against that person and they aren’t giggly and bent over laughing all the time doesn’t mean they aren’t a joyful person.  Something else on joy I’ll end up with.

Nehemiah 8:10 says that the joy of the Lord is your strength, or you can say it this way - When you take joy in the Lord, it becomes your strength.  When you make the choice to remain joyful in trials and tribulations and throughout your normal daily routine, strength of the Lord will be right there.  It’s all about choice.

So remember this:  Joy is a choice, it is not just simply happiness.  You are strengthened by the Lord because you made the decision to remain joyful.

Don’t just stay happy – Stay joyful!