๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐
Which one should we pursue?
What is joy? What is happiness? And what is the difference between joy and happiness?
The difference between joy and happiness lives in the mind and heart.
โข Joy is in the heart. Happiness is on the face.
โข Joy is of the soul. Happiness is of the moment.
โข Joy transcends. Happiness reacts.
โข Joy embraces peace and contentment, waiting to be discovered.
โข Joy runs deep and overflows, while happiness is intermittent and fleeting.
โข Joy is a practice and a behavior. Itโs deliberate and intentional.
โข Happiness comes and goes blithely along its way.
โข Joy is profound and Scriptural. "Don't worry, rejoice."
โข Happiness is a balm. "Don't worry, be happy."
โข Joy is an inner feeling. Happiness is an outward expression.
โข Joy endures hardship and trials and connects with meaning and purpose.
โข A person pursues happiness but chooses joy.
Choose joy. Practice joy. Know joy. Live joy. Feel happiness.
For every person who says joy is an underlying truth that good or bad circumstances canโt dictate, and that happiness is rooted in circumstance, there will be others who think the opposite, that joy is just a state of mind, the outcome of a mind seeking happiness and focused on pleasure, pleasing thoughts and pleasant experiences.
Despite the different perspectives, the idea that holds greater sway today is that experiencing happiness depends on external factors. Happiness happens to us. Even though we may seek it, desire it, pursue it, etc., feeling happiness is not a choice we make. Joy, on the other hand, is a choice purposefully made.
Happiness doesnโt bring joy, and joy isnโt the byproduct of happiness. Joy is something grander than happiness. Joy is a fruit of the Spirit, and when we find joy itโs infused with comfort and wrapped in peace. Itโs an attitude of the heart and spirit.
(Galatians 5:22-23)
Itโs possible to experience joy in difficult times. Itโs possible to know joy or feel joy in spite of grief or uncertainty. Joy doesnโt need a smile in order to exist.
Although joy does feels better with a happy smile, joy can share space with other emotions โ sadness, fear, anger ... even unhappiness. Happiness canโt.
Happiness isnโt present in darkness and difficulty. It canโt be present when its antithesis rules. But once discovered, joy undergirds our spirits and brings to life peace and contentment, even in the face of unhappiness.
Joy blooms through connection. Itโs what God wants for us. Often the connection is with other people, but it can also be with pets, creation, creativity, etc.
Joy is present, in the moment. Every moment. Happiness is ephemeral and temporary. Itโs mostly just passing through.
When happiness is present, itโs larger than life. It feels good, and nothing feels better or seems worthy of attention. But happiness is also fickle. It can be present for weeks on end and gone in an instant. True joy is constant.
The true definition of joy goes beyond the limited explanation presented in a dictionary โ โa feeling a great pleasure and happiness.โ True joy is a limitless, life-defining, transformative reservoir waiting to be tapped into. It requires the utmost surrender and, like love, is a choice to be made. Joy is not simply a feeling that happens.
Joy is also not great happiness or even extreme happiness. It is not elation, jubilation or exhilaration โ emotions that may be present with joy, that may seem like an expression of joy, but which donโt define joy. In its truest expression, joy transforms difficult times into blessings and turns heartache into gratitude. Joy brings meaning to life. It brings life to life.
๐๐ง ๐๐ก๐จ๐จ๐ฌ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฃ๐จ๐ฒ, ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ซ๐ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ก๐จ๐ฉ๐. ๐๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐ฃ๐จ๐ฒ, ๐ก๐๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ก๐ข๐ฉ ๐จ๐๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐ ๐ซ๐จ๐ฐ๐ญ๐ก ๐๐ง๐ ๐จ๐ฉ๐ฉ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ. ๐๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐ฃ๐จ๐ฒ, ๐ฌ๐๐ฅ๐-๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐๐ฆ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ฅ๐-๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ฉ๐๐๐ญ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ข๐ง๐๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐ฎ๐๐ญ๐ข๐๐ฅ๐.
โYou turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy.โ โ Psalm 30:11
Source: Compassion International
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Testify:
Where does your ๐๐๐ come from? Does your ๐๐๐ come from something that can be taken away?
My ๐๐๐ comes from the ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ and no man can pluck me from His hand.
Joy does not come from my job. Not my family. Not food. Not another person. Not my husband. Not my children. Not a car. Not my home. Not the government. Not the president. Not health. The list goes on.
๐๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐ฌ๐จ๐ฆ๐๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐๐ฌ ๐๐๐ฌ๐ฒ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ข๐ฅ ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ญ๐ข๐ฆ๐. But the more I realize it to be true, the better I am at my job, for my family, for my husband, etc.
It's a DAILY work in progress and I see it to be true the older I get. (Philippians 1:6)
