12/15/2024
John 15:11
I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.
Today is the third Sunday in Advent, and we will be considering Joy. The Bible speaks of joy and happiness as separate feelings. They are referred to individually, as well as coupled in the same verse. In Ester 8:16 we are told: “…it was a time of happiness and joy, gladness and honor.” Then in Jeremiah 31:13: I will change their sadness into happiness; I will give them comfort and joy instead of sadness.
Happiness refers to the feelings of contentment and delight derived from worldly experiences and happenings. We understand happiness to be temporary, fleeting, and based upon outer circumstances. Joy is the feelings of contentment and satisfaction caused by an inner connection to gratitude, caring for and serving others. It is lasting and based upon inner circumstances, our relationship with Spirit, and is an attitude of the heart.
As Christians, we can be told that happiness needs to take a back seat to joy; joy is the superior emotion and state of mind. I must confess that I once believed this to be the case as well. But it is not Biblical. The Bible often uses the words ‘joy’ and ‘happiness’ together and almost synonymously.
We are taught that Joy is one of the gifts of Spirit, happiness is in no way an inferior unspiritual emotion to be avoided or hidden. I now know that although happiness may be based upon ‘happenings’ it is something that God intends for us to experience. True happiness is finding peace in the present moment and being satisfied with what we have. It is the Joy of God that expresses through our faces, the inner joy that we express outwardly.
Joy and Happiness are gifts of Christ. It is God’s plan for us to be happy and prosperous, as well as joyous and abundant in all areas of our lives. Just as it is not a sin or spiritual misstep to be wealthy, it is not wrong to want to be happy. Monetary wealth is just part of God’s desire for us to have abundance. Similarly, happiness is part of God’s desire for us to be joyful; they are subsets of each other. There is more to Joy than just happiness; there is more to Abundance than just a bank statement.
Spirit considers them all important. The danger lies in our focus. If we focus exclusively on happiness, on what happens in our lives to bring us joy, then we are setting ourselves up for disappointment, grief, and unhappiness. We may even tip to the point where all we seek is pleasure, and this can become a very dark path indeed.
God wants us to derive our joy from an inner connection with Spirit. That is part of the reason Jesus came to this earth; that is why we celebrate the rebirth of Christ within … to experience the Divine Joy that is beyond the World.
It is important to be happy because that is what God wants for us, and it is also important to be in a joyful state despite our earthly conditions. We can lose our possessions and still be in a state of Joy and inner bliss through our focus, connection, and awareness of Christ. We can experience all of life’s trials and still rejoice. As James 1:2-4 says, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds…”
By concentrating upon Christ, we raise our awareness above that of the world. I’ve heard this referred to as “raising the vibrations of our thoughts”. Since science tells us that everything vibrates, and some believe that Spirit vibrates more quickly than anything else, as we elevate our thoughts, quicken our thoughts, we move toward Spirit, and attune our minds and hearts to God.
When we raise our thinking beyond the world our spiritual nature advances toward the Joy of God, and this allows the ups and downs, and ins and outs of the world to pass below us. The events of the world have no effect upon our state of Joy when we are connected to Christ. We may not always be happy, not showing that on our faces in an external manner, but we can remain ever poised in the Joy of God, with a smile on our heart, regardless of our conditions while walking the earth in these bodies.
That is what we are promised: that the joy of Christ might be in us and our joy may be full, complete, to the brim. We are promised Joy, not happiness.
Happiness is expecting what is “out there” to fulfill something. So, we look to people, opinions, attitudes, places, events, and things, to align with our expectations. We wish each other a “Happy Thanksgiving,” a “Merry Christmas”, a “Happy Hanukah”, or a “Happy Holidays”. And those wishes are dependent upon good things happening - good food, good family times, good fun.
But to wish someone a joyous Christmas or a joyous New Year is a little different. We are praying for a mindset, a state of the heart, and a higher awareness of who they are and how they fit in. Yes, we want them to be happy, for good things to happen, but we also want them to remain joyous in the inevitable times when they are not happy.
Joy, therefore, is an important part of our spiritual foundation. In Philippians 4:4, Paul exhorts us, “Rejoice in the Lord always. And again I say, Rejoice!” This command to rejoice is not dependent on our circumstances but on our relationship with God. Similarly, Nehemiah 8:10 reminds us, “The joy of the Lord is your strength.” Joy is a source of spiritual strength that sustains us through trials and tribulations. Proverbs 17:22 teaches that, “A joyful heart is good medicine, But a broken spirit dries up the bones.”
The rebirthing of Christ within offers us a path of joy, and we can choose it or reject it. Joy is trusting when we want to doubt, accepting what is offered when we want to refuse it. Joy is serving when we want to be served; giving when we want to take. Joy is daring to celebrate when we want to hide in fear.
We can cultivate joy in our lives by nurturing our relationship with God through prayer, worship, and the study of His Word. We must also practice gratitude, recognizing and giving thanks for the countless blessings we receive each day. Additionally, serving others and sharing God’s love can amplify our joy, as we witness the impact of His grace in the lives of those around us.
Living a joyful life is a powerful testimony to our faith. It draws others to the light of Christ and inspires them to seek the source of our joy. As we embody joy, we become beacons of hope and encouragement, reflecting the love and goodness of God in a world that often feels burdened by despair.
My prayer is that we choose Joy; that we accept the gifts of Christ: the Hope, the Peace, the Love, and the Joy. Paul says in Romans 15:13, “I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will over-flow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.”
It is my prayer that we accept that the Joy of the Lord is our strength. Pierre Teilhard de Chardin: “Joy is the infallible sign of the presence of God.” Joy is our heart’s affirmation that despite all challenges the world has to offer – Love wins, Christ wins.
Have a joyous week.
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