Living a joyful life means understanding the difference between happiness and joy. Happiness is a feeling, a passing emotion, joy is a way of living, it’s a choice.
Table of Contents
One of the toughest parts of the human condition is dissecting happiness from joy.
Sometimes we use the words interchangeably when they are two different things that will have a huge impact on our outlook of life.
Happiness is a Feeling
God does not call us to be happy, because happiness is an emotion, it’s fleeting and impacted by the world around us.
If we seek happiness, we have to seek situations or ways to make ourselves happy. We end up buying more, looking for new experiences and chasing the next dream because we constantly want that happy feeling flowing through us.
And honestly, it’s exhausting. It’s tiring to always be looking for the next exciting thing.
I see this with my kids. When they get a new toy, they grow tired of it and want something else. Not because they are done playing with the newest toy but because they want that immediate happy feeling they got when they first opened it.
We all can relate, when the Amazon package arrives on the doorstep you get a flutter of excitement because you got something new!
But we know it’s short lived. The newness wears off until the next package arrives. And if we let ourselves fall into that trap of constantly seeking more, we find ourselves in a cycle of seeking happiness instead of joy.
Our time is taken from seeking God, and it’s God who will give us joy, which is everlasting and not short lived!
Joy is a Way of Living
God wants us to live a life of joy because it is not situation dependent. Joy is deep rooted, a contentment and calmness of spirit.
It isn’t something that can be shaken by what is going on because we find joy in God’s presence.
You make known to me the path of life;
in your presence there is fullness of joy;
at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.Psalm 16:11
When we seek to live a life of joy, we are seeking God.
Seeking happiness is looking elsewhere. Seeking God will fulfill every desire for something new, better or exciting. Joy is a way of living because it is a conscious choice to choose God’s path over our own desires. Sometimes joy doesn’t always look joyful, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t good.
Are Christians Unhappy?
Joy is a way of living!
Absolutely not! Being happy is a human emotion, and we should experience it, just as we experience grief, sadness and anger. But what we have to remember is that happiness is much like the ocean tides; it comes and goes. We shouldn’t chase it or try to nail it to the sand.
We enjoy it while it is here but don’t spend our lives chasing it.
What we should be yearning for is joy. The soul-refreshing, calmness that tells us that regardless of what is going on we have a Heavenly Father who is watching over us.
Joy is what keeps our heads above water when things get chaotic. Joy is what steps up on dark days to say the sun will come back. Joy is what says “Seek comfort in God on this day of pain.” And joy is what makes happiness so much more golden.
When we wake up seeking joy, we also seek compassion, forgiveness and love. We look for good in dark places because we know God’s light will shine everywhere.
How to Live a Life of Joy
The question remains: How do we live a life of joy?
Here are some ways to seek joy instead of happiness:
- Wake up and ask God for His plans for the day
- List all the things He has given you
- Seek the Holy Spirit before heading into difficult situations
- Spend time alone with God everyday
- Keep scripture cards in places you can see them
- Tame your tongue (read the blog post for scriptures on this – HERE)
- Joy is a way of living meaning it is a choice, you actively choose it despite the situation
- Don’t compare yourself to others
- The further you are from God, the further you are from joy
I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live.
Ecclesiastes 3:12 ESV
Live Your Life for God
Share this post with someone to encourage them to live a life of joy!
True joy comes from God. It isn’t always an easy road to walk, but it is joy that reminds us of God’s comfort when we have difficult days. It is joy that gives us peace in the chaos. It is joy that allows us to smile warmly even when our own hopes did not come true.
Joy is a way of living that allows us to walk the righteous path. The path towards eternity, the path that shines brightly for others. So when everyone else is running towards happiness, walk the path that leads to everlasting joy.
Leave a Reply to Happiness Is Homemade Or Is It? Seeking ContentmentCancel reply