Is there a difference between joy and happiness?

“There is within my being joy no one can violate, unfettered, tranquil and unmarred, immune from pain and suffering.”

Happiness is an emotion, an emotional state that God never intended people to be in all the time.  There is “a time to weep and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance” (Ecclesiastes 3:4).   Biblical joy – true joy is an intimate relationship with Jesus.  Jesus put it this way: “I am the vine, you are the branches.  He who abides in me, and I in him, bears much fruit,” (John 15:5).  That fruit includes joy.  The Bible speaks more often of joy than of being happy. 

Happiness is a glad emotional feeling that depends on something good happening in our circumstances.  Happiness is a result of something that is outside us.  We can be extremely happy and then the phone rings and we get a call that can dash all our happiness and fill us with sadness.  Also being happy is something that all people can enjoy.  It isn’t dependent on being a Christian.  I know people who are unbelievers that are happy.  Job in the Book of Job states that even evil people can be happy.  The only difference in non-believers and Christians is when trouble does come and it will their happiness ends and they have no joy to see them through.   

God wants us to experience happiness, but His greater desire is that we have unconditional joy.  Joy comes from within and does not depend on outside forces therefore giving us control over it.  Jesus said His joy would “remain in you” and “your joy no one will take from you,” (John 15:11; 16:22).  The evidence of joy is gratitude, contentment, optimism, a sense of freedom and other positive attitudes.

Biblical Joy is not natural to us.  It is in fact supernatural (spiritual), and it is a gift from the Holy Spirit.  It is something only Christians can experience.  Joy is the response of believers to the understanding of God’s love for them.  And, we only know that God loves us by the Holy Spirit.  Joy is our response to God for all He has done for us.

Both our joy and happiness is increased more by our giving and serving than from our getting. The apostle Paul reminded us that Jesus Christ taught: “There is more happiness in giving than in receiving” (Acts 20:35). 

To grow in joy, we must resist not only self-pity, but also being self-centered and self-absorbed.  For joy to flourish, we must focus on loving others and especially on loving God.  Joy is largely composed of gratitude – gratitude for the wonderful things God has done for us.  Gratitude produces joy (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). 

Try to follow this Biblical formula: Add to your life gratitude, humility, forgiveness, faith, hope, patience and love. Take away resentment, anger, fear, worry, materialism, greed, jealousy, complaining and pride. The result is Joy!

Joy is a major topic in the Bible.  In the King James Version of the Bible joy appears 158 times.  Rejoice is the verb form of joy, meaning to feel or have joy.  Joy is not optional. The Bible repeatedly commands us to rejoice (be joyful)! The most emphatic exhortation is in Philippians 4:4, where Paul says, “Rejoice (be joyful) in the Lord always.  Again I will say, rejoice (be joyful)!”

God’s joy continues to flow through His people even during their suffering.  The joy that the Lord gives us enables us to cope with life’s trials.  It gives us hope, and enables us to become overcomers instead of victims.  Paul wrote, “We also rejoice (have joy) in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope” (Romans 5:3-4).

James wrote, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance,” (James 1:2). 

Jesus prayed for His followers, “…that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves,” (John 17:13).  He also teaches us to pray for joy.  As He tells us in John 16:24, “Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full!” 

Even when things are bad our strength comes from the joy of the Lord.  Joy is with the faithful believer at all time, both good and bad.  Happiness comes and goes depending on our circumstances.  Happiness is on the outside.  Joy is character and is on the inside. Happiness only meets our surface needs, but joy meets our deepest needs.  Happiness evaporates in a crisis.  Joy often intensifies in a crisis.

Joy empowers a person to be loving, kind, gentle, and self-controlled, consistently denying our selfish tendencies.  If we put Jesus first in our lives joy is a natural by product which empowers us to really love others and love ourselves.

Remember:  No one can steal our joy.  We must give our joy away.  Happiness can be stolen from us in a split second, without our having any control over it.  Happiness is external and joy is internal.  Happiness usually comes from others.  Joy comes from the Holy Spirit.  Happiness depends on our circumstances.  Joy is not affected by our circumstances.  Happiness can and usually is temporary.  Joy is permanent.  Only believers can experience Biblical joy.  Anyone can experience happiness. 

I have seen people living in extreme poverty and they are smiling and appear happy.  I would ask myself how they possibly could be happy.  Is it happiness or joy they are expressing?  I have come to believe it is joy - joy given to them by the Holy Spirit that brings them hope, regardless of their circumstances. 

How important is the church?

Many people do not see the church as very important.  Some say I am a good moral person.  I believe in God and treat my family and neighbours right.  Why do I need to be a member of the church?  Many young people have rejected "organized religion."  They may claim to accept Jesus, but want nothing to do with the church.  Some people see denominational division or hypocrisy in the church, and they want no part of it.  So they reject the whole idea of the church.  Others say it doesn't matter which church you attend or if you go to church, as long as you believe in Jesus.  So people conclude you don't need to be a member of any church as long as you believe in Jesus.

I do not claim any denomination is more important than another.   Denominations are not found in the New Testament and I do not believe they were ever part of God's plan.  They were added by men hundreds of years after Jesus' death and resurrection.  We can be saved without joining a denomination.  I strongly believe it makes a difference what church we go to and who shepherds that church.

I believe the church is essential to our relationship with God.  The church has an important role in God’s plan for our lives.  The Gospel clearly shows that Jesus planned and built His church and early Christians belong to that church.

Ephesians 2:16, 19 – “Jesus reconciled Jew and Gentile to God in one body through the cross. Therefore, we are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.”  1st Timothy 3:15 - Paul wrote, “So we may know how to conduct ourselves in the house of God, which is the church of the living God.”  Many people agree that we must be ‘born again’, but they often think ‘church’ membership does not matter.  These people need to consider the fact that being born again makes us members of the family of God; the church is the family of God. 

Christ is the Head of the body (church) Eph. 1:22, 23 and Col. 1:18.  Christ is the Head of no other institution. There is one body, Eph. 4:4-6, just as there is only one God.  I do not believe Christ the Head of an unimportant, non-essential institution. To belittle the church is to belittle Jesus! 

Matthew 3:2; 4:23 - Both John and Jesus emphasized preaching the Gospel of the kingdom.  We cannot preach the Gospel of Christ without preaching about the kingdom (church).  To attempt to preach the Gospel without preaching the ‘church’ would be to preach a different Gospel (Gal. 1:8). 

Ephesians 3:10, 11 - The church played a major role in the eternal purpose of God.  The ‘church’ should reveal the wisdom of God as part of His eternal purpose.  I believe God from the beginning planned the church.  It was not a last minute decision.  God planned the church centuries before it began.  Would the Creator and Ruler of the Universe go to such trouble for an insignificant institution?  Daniel 2:31-45 tells us Nebuchadnezzar dreamed of an image.  It prophesied that the kingdom (church) would begin during the Roman Empire.  Matthew 16:18 tells us Jesus promised to build His church.  Clearly it was important to Him. 

The main work of the church should be spiritual, to help people have a right relationship with God and not political.  The church we are talking about is the body of all saved people which God planned and Jesus built.  It is the kingdom of Christ, the family of God and not a denomination.  If worship and Gospel preaching are important, then the church is important, because these are what the Lord established the church to accomplish.  

I believe man made denominations created the division in God’s church, but I also believe the church is important enough to belong to a denomination.  Perhaps in our day and time denominations are a necessary evil.  Anyone attending any denomination should be open to the Holy Spirit and allow the Holy Spirit to direct their belief and not a denominational creed.  It is important to find a church or a denomination that encourages you, builds you up and brings you into a closer personal relationship with God.

I think it is extremely important that you find a church that teaches the importance of the Holy Spirit in your daily life.