Joy

NOUN, VERB

a feeling of great pleasure and happiness, rejoice

Joy is a action or even command that God requires us to have when entering in His courts, and seeking His face. If we are honest as Christians, most of us think this action requires us to smile, jump, twirl, or act in whatever form of happiness to show God we love Him. But as I have studied this word in the Bible, joy renders out to be beyond happiness.

To be joyful is God given, but to be happy is truly devil given. The reason why I find this statement to be very true is from not only the definition of what happy means, but also experiencing happiness myself. Happy means: feeling or showing pleasure or contentment; fortunate and convenient. This is such a temporary state and can be acquired through materialistic objects, flattery, accomplishments, and the list goes on and on. Happiness goes as far as how many things can spark your sense of pleasure and must be repeated over and over again to keep that temporary enjoyment. I often find happiness used as a drug and never as a tool to acquire joy. This is a huge problem because the moment your ego has not been hit with happiness, the addicts of happiness tend to lash out in many ways to regain their drug once more. Bitterness is set out on that person, place or thing because it did not keep up what it seemed to offer. When in actuality it had its season to bring you joy and also always will follow with its season to grow. Which shows up to the person receiving their fruit, that they just stopped making them happy, and before you know it they feel short changed and bitter. The misuse of happiness will always be hollow because the enemy takes the opportunity to make you perceive it in a negative connotation. Before I help change your point of view of happiness I have to explain how joy is so different.

Above I showed the definition of joy from the world, but I suggested to you through my experience and walk with God that joy means something totally different then the definition at hand. And if you follow that meaning then you can definitely be stunted in your growth spiritually and mentally.The Bible covers so many stories on how the people of the city were joyful and King David is filled with joy and so forth it had me wonder what does joy really look like. Also, it is one of the fruits of the spirit. And when you look at the translation of joy it gets more and more watered down/ simplified to happiness. If you ask me that is nothing but the devil. When I was led to read Galatians 5:22-33, God opened my eyes to joy like never before.

Everyone wants to be fruitful, or should want to be fruitful. I have met many successful people from many background ranging from just starting a family all the way to owning their own business. Some count their success less impressive based on society standards, but none the less they are highly successful in whatever God instructed them to do in life. When I have conversations with them their mood is often sad because they are not as fruitful or up beat because they are currently thriving in their fruitful season. But thing that I spotted the most in the most fruit driven individual is their ability to have joy no matter the highs and lows. That is also what makes every common day hero with or with out a cap. Because when you see a person consistently going after what they know what is right for a cause beyond them, then there will not be much that can break them down. The bounce back is always more impressive because no expects for them to be low, and even more know can guess how or when they would bounce back. So they are marveled at and loved on why because of they're joy.

Joy is a light. It takes only the change of the mind, perception, to snuff out someones joy. No matter how many beatings, bankruptcies, lies, and haters there are, a person with joy will win forever. So next question is what is joy. Well, to properly analyze joy you have to address it as purely as one of the fruits of the spirit. Galatians 5 teaches us what the fruits of the spirits are how it look when it is being used. I also noticed that joy is right after love. In order for anyone to use these gifts of the spirit to bless other you must acquire love. Love is explained in Corinthians 13. But joy follows right after, and I believe this to be deliberate because you can't have love with out appreciation of a person for who they are. Joy is plainly gratefulness. These commonly known scriptures:

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!

Philippians 4:4

When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy.

Psalm 94:19

Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior.

Habakkuk 3:17-18

Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

2 Corinthians 9:7

Joy is used repetitively and almost seems like solely when God shows us how to address Him. Without having appreciation you can not love anyone nor obtain any of the other fruits of the spirit. Because God will not let you abusive His Holy Spirit and He always takes care of His children no matter the drought or storm. When God promised us He completely meant what He said because His Word cannot come back void. It is so. Just as simple as the I Am is everything inclusive.

So back to my discussion on 'happy versus joy' and how to know they are different is simply putting this... When you have happiness it always leaves you feeling empty (devil given) but when you joyful you can never run out (God given). Happiness, like I said before, can definitely be used in a positive state when you do not latch your self on to the things that are latched on to it. Seasons change and so do those things that abide in those seasons. God lasts always and as a human we forget. Count on God to give you joy because we can not make joy up no matter how hard we pretend. God always has away of deepening our joy through trials and tribulations. Also, what makes our worship pure is joy. Jesus would have never been able to joyfully go through persecution with out that important factor of joy, and when we go through our own prayfully we will be filled with the necessary amount joy to make it through. (2 Corinthians 12:9)

Exercise:

Write down at least 10 things that make you happy in each of these columns (person, place, thing, and actions). When you see those things that make you happy, then think of how it would make you mad or scared if you lost it. {I know as a Christians you are bread to think you don't think those thoughts, but just be as honest as possible thinking how you would react without it). Then find and write down 5 of God's promises on how He will keep His children in those times of needs.