“But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.’” Luke 2:10 NIV
What is the difference between happiness and joy?
If you were to simply look at a dictionary definition for happiness and joy to compare them to each other, you wouldn’t find much of a difference. They are synonyms, and perhaps the only real difference that you would recognize on a regular basis is that a Christian is more likely to use “joy” to describe how they feel. Although these words may not have a significant definitional difference, biblically, there are a lot more differences to be discovered.
In the Gospel of Luke, a group of shepherds is addressed by the heavenly host singing the praises of the Messiah. Understandably so, these shepherds are frightened by the display of the multitude of angels before them, but the message that gets shared is that the Messiah is bringing “great joy” for everyone. This great joy is profoundly deeper than happiness, or being in a good mood. One of the key differences that we find biblically regarding happiness and joy - joy is greater than happiness.
Joy is a result of the presence of Christ.
Emmanuel, God with us, brings a great and lasting joy to the world. A good day at work, or a delicious meal, or the Cowboys winning can bring happiness; but the joy that Jesus brings far surpasses the happiness that can be experienced on earth. We associate happiness with positive conditions. We associate joy as an experience that persists in spite of positive or negative conditions.
We would be shocked to hear a close friend say, “I’m so happy today, work was just so terrible.” But what would make a lot of sense to hear is, “Work was awful today, but Jesus is still my strength and He gives me joy.”
Joy is a fruit of the Spirit.
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23 NIV
Fruit grows. It isn’t discovered or built. It isn’t earned or awarded. It grows. This is true for joy in the life of a Christian. When you put your faith in Jesus as the Son of God who died for the forgiveness of your sins and then came back to life to secure your eternal home with God, the Father recognizes the faith in your heart and sends the Holy Spirit to you as a seal of your salvation. Then the Holy Spirit strengthens and equips you to become more like Jesus, and one of the ways the Bible teaches that process is through the growth of the fruit of the Spirit. Joy is among the fruit of the Spirit, meaning it is something that grows in your life because of God’s presence with you.
“You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit.” 1 Thessalonians 1:6 NIV
Happiness is circumstantial. There are happy days and sad days. You will have trouble in this life that would result in some unhappiness; you will face trials and temptations that keep happiness far from you. But joy is not something you possess, only to lose it and find it in a cycle, it is a fruit that grows from the Holy Spirit. You are a recipient of joy, blessed with the joy of the Lord. The role that we play in experiencing and living with this joy is to daily take the steps to abide in Christ.
“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.” John 15:4 ESV
Happiness is fleeting, joy is secure.
“If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.” John 15:10-12 NIV
Receiving the joy of Christ goes so much farther than having a good day, week, month or even lifetime. Abide with Christ by loving your neighbor, and experience the fullness of joy that Jesus has for you. It’s my prayer for you that you would be filled with joy from the Holy Spirit in everything you walk through this week.
