As a child, I was like most children during the Christmas Holiday season. I would keep busy with creating wish lists, watching television for tips on the latest and best new toy and making sure to demonstrate extraordinary behavior as I knew that mom and "santa" would be watching. The anticipation was the most positive and negative experience that I went through; as excitement would fill me each day as I thought about what would be under the tree for me on Christmas morn', yet waiting made me anxious and impatient. Thinking back to those moments in my childhood, I realized that
the sense of joy I had or lack thereof seemed to be solely dependent on
whether I believed that I would wake up to exactly what I wanted. If I
did in fact wake up to my wish, I was excited, overjoyed, and filled with happiness.
But, boy lookout if I did not receive something that I really desired
to have...not only was I UNhappy, but I would have the nerve to put on a sad face and ultimately showed my family that I was ungrateful for what I had been given. Wow! How selfish of me to only have joy in my
heart because of a particular circumstance. I did this year after year until I became fully aware of what Christmas was about and the reality that I needed to be more concerned with giving than receiving, because that is what Christ did for us. Thank God that I no longer see things as I did when I was a young child. The Word says in 1 Corinthians 13:11..."When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I
thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish thing" (KJV). At one time, I really did believe that a little toy under a Christmas tree could bring me absolute joy. However, it was not joy that I was experiencing. It was actually happiness. Now, I know you are saying "wait a minute, aren't happiness and joy the same?". I used to have this frame of thinking. The answer is NO they are not the same thing. Joy and Happiness seem to have the same identity...giving you positive euphoric feelings and causing you to have a smile on your face. Nonetheless, their meanings are very different. I decided to find out how they differ in meaning although joy and happiness seem to be one in the same.
Happiness is defined as a "pleasurable or satisfying experience, good fortune". Yet joy is defined as "the prospect of possessing what one desires, a source or cause of delight". Isn't that something? Happiness is based on a positive experience, while joy is based on the possibility of a positive experience and can even be a source of a positive outcome. So, what does the Word of God convey about the subjects of joy and happiness? In the bible you will find joy used in many ways such as: Rejoice in hope, Count it all Joy when you are met with trials, Find joy in the Lord always...etc. God is saying no matter what...you can still have joy! Have joy ANYWAY! It is all up to you....no one can take your joy away, if you lose it, this is a result of a choice made by you. No one else is responsible for your joy. When happiness (often said as blessed or gladness) is used, you will notice that there is something that takes place first: Happy is the man that finds wisdom. Happiness is a word that is not used in the bible as often as you think. Do you think this may be because God wants us to know that joy in itself can help us to be happy in all situations? As long as we lean on him for understanding, happiness will be a result of our joy so there is no need to mention it as much??? This is a real question that I have. Let me know what you think.
So here is what I gather: Happiness is a result of a circumstance that is deemed positive on your part; there must be an action to create a reaction of this feeling. JOY occurs in spite of your circumstance. Joy lives in you even when the world around you is crumbling and you can't see your way out of a situation. Now there is absolutely nothing wrong with happiness. I am not inferring this, but what I am saying is that we don't have to wait for good things to happen in our lives to exhibit happiness. If we allow our joy show through, this will shine regardless of our circumstance. Joy enables us to enjoy what God has given us. True Abundant joy is given to us as a gift for walking in faith in obedience to God. It is a Fruit of the Spirit that can often times be downsized when we live with negative thinking about situations, but God does not want this for us. He wants us to abide in him and experience joy so that we can share that with others. 1Peter 1:8 reads..."Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory..." (ESV).
Is your sense of joy truly determined by an outcome of another situation? Must their be a cause-and-effect relationship in order for you to have joy in your heart? Can you live with joy in your heart when things don't go your way? These questions are NOT easy to admit or live by, but if you trust in the Lord to be your JOY, you CAN do this. Honestly speaking, I am still working on this in my life. I do realize however that living this way makes life more pleasant and your light can lead others to want to know why you are so "happy". Just tell them, "it's not merely happiness, but joy that no one and no situation can take from me because it comes from the Lord". Romans 15:13-"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope"(ESV).
Thank you for reading! Feel free to comment below or follow Blessed Chix for weekly readings.
In the meantime, love AND live.
Nikitia (creator-Blessed Chix- the blog)
Nikitia (Niki) Wilson believes in the power of storytelling. She founded Blessed Chix to fulfill the call that God gave her to reach, encourage, and inspire women and girls through testimonies of overcoming the odds. Niki has dedicated her life and ministry to creating a platform where women can share with each other in safe, nonjudgmental, and “come as you are” environments in order to find fullness in life and in love. She is happily married to her husband Rev. Eli Wilson, III and resides in Metro New York where she is a librarian.
Happiness is defined as a "pleasurable or satisfying experience, good fortune". Yet joy is defined as "the prospect of possessing what one desires, a source or cause of delight". Isn't that something? Happiness is based on a positive experience, while joy is based on the possibility of a positive experience and can even be a source of a positive outcome. So, what does the Word of God convey about the subjects of joy and happiness? In the bible you will find joy used in many ways such as: Rejoice in hope, Count it all Joy when you are met with trials, Find joy in the Lord always...etc. God is saying no matter what...you can still have joy! Have joy ANYWAY! It is all up to you....no one can take your joy away, if you lose it, this is a result of a choice made by you. No one else is responsible for your joy. When happiness (often said as blessed or gladness) is used, you will notice that there is something that takes place first: Happy is the man that finds wisdom. Happiness is a word that is not used in the bible as often as you think. Do you think this may be because God wants us to know that joy in itself can help us to be happy in all situations? As long as we lean on him for understanding, happiness will be a result of our joy so there is no need to mention it as much??? This is a real question that I have. Let me know what you think.
So here is what I gather: Happiness is a result of a circumstance that is deemed positive on your part; there must be an action to create a reaction of this feeling. JOY occurs in spite of your circumstance. Joy lives in you even when the world around you is crumbling and you can't see your way out of a situation. Now there is absolutely nothing wrong with happiness. I am not inferring this, but what I am saying is that we don't have to wait for good things to happen in our lives to exhibit happiness. If we allow our joy show through, this will shine regardless of our circumstance. Joy enables us to enjoy what God has given us. True Abundant joy is given to us as a gift for walking in faith in obedience to God. It is a Fruit of the Spirit that can often times be downsized when we live with negative thinking about situations, but God does not want this for us. He wants us to abide in him and experience joy so that we can share that with others. 1Peter 1:8 reads..."Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory..." (ESV).
Is your sense of joy truly determined by an outcome of another situation? Must their be a cause-and-effect relationship in order for you to have joy in your heart? Can you live with joy in your heart when things don't go your way? These questions are NOT easy to admit or live by, but if you trust in the Lord to be your JOY, you CAN do this. Honestly speaking, I am still working on this in my life. I do realize however that living this way makes life more pleasant and your light can lead others to want to know why you are so "happy". Just tell them, "it's not merely happiness, but joy that no one and no situation can take from me because it comes from the Lord". Romans 15:13-"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope"(ESV).
Thank you for reading! Feel free to comment below or follow Blessed Chix for weekly readings.
In the meantime, love AND live.
Nikitia (creator-Blessed Chix- the blog)
Nikitia (Niki) Wilson believes in the power of storytelling. She founded Blessed Chix to fulfill the call that God gave her to reach, encourage, and inspire women and girls through testimonies of overcoming the odds. Niki has dedicated her life and ministry to creating a platform where women can share with each other in safe, nonjudgmental, and “come as you are” environments in order to find fullness in life and in love. She is happily married to her husband Rev. Eli Wilson, III and resides in Metro New York where she is a librarian.
This joy that you write of, I want it! Yet it seems so illusive. As to your question about whether happiness will be a result of one's inner joy: I think that it may be that we won't experience that happiness on earth - after all, many are the afflictions of those who do right (Psalm 34:19). So if we're continuously in trials and pain, then that happiness may not be attainable. But, it may be that as a result of having an inner peace and joy - staying positive and goal-focused, pressing toward the mark - that we will experience true happiness, along with joy, once we reach the prize of the high calling.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your thoughts on this topic and challenging us all to have a bright perspective, no-matter the circumstance.
I thank you for reading and responding to my blog. I appreciate your comment here-- "So if we're continuously in trials and pain, then that happiness may not be attainable. But, it may be that as a result of having an inner peace and joy - staying positive and goal-focused, pressing toward the mark - that we will experience true happiness, along with joy...".
DeleteI agree with you in that our happiness is a result of an inner peace and joy. With happiness being a result of another action, it can be difficult to feel that way when going through trials. This is why we can't focus on earthly possessions and other material things that can fade away to determine our happiness. It is the joy that we receive as a result of following Christ's example and living totally for God in obedience, loving Him, ourselves, and others as he loves us. So all in all, we may not always be happy with how things happen in our lives, but if we can find that inner joy within us we can still find a reason to smile.
Please keep reading and commenting on the posts. I plan to get start posting regularly very soon. I appreciate you and thank you again! God Bless.
Love AND Live!