Happiness vs. Joy

Romans 5:13 

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

During this stage of our marriage. Josh and I are learning to trust God for things that we don't understand or for things that we can't plan for.  (of course this is most likely not a stage but something I need to get over and get used to!)   Some things have not gone the way that we had hoped they would and we have struggled with being happy in our present circumstances.  But over the past few weeks, God has been reminding me that we can't be happy all the time.  Happiness is a feeling based on circumstances.  If things are going your way then it's easy to be happy! But if Johnny Raincloud comes and rains on your parade, well then things just aren't so great anymore.  Joy on the other hand...joy is something that comes with trusting in the Lord.  A grounded faith produces joy and peace because we know that no matter what happens in our circumstances, God is in control and will always take care of us.  Our joy can never be destroyed.  Happiness is a fleeting feeling, while joy on the other hand is a daily choice we have to make!  When things don't go our way we can't just sit around and pout about it until our "warm fuzzies" come back! And when we trust God in the good and bad, not only are we filled with joy, but we also have hope!  He gives us strength for what we're going through today, but we also have hope for tomorrow and the days ahead!

Most people don't understand this concept, and some just never have a positive thing to say. (We all know someone like this!)  The "Debbie or Donnie Downer" who is always in the dumps, and has an attitude of "woe is me!"  Nothing is ever good, there is no silver lining; and they usually have a way of changing the mood of everyone around them.  Philippians 2:12 says, "Do everything, (that means, EVERYTHING) without grumbling or complaining, so that you may become blameless and pure 'children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation. Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky." 

Wow!  If we strive to live like Christ, and decide to not complain about everything then we will shine among others like "stars in the sky!"  I hope that I can maintain an attitude of joy, so that others will ask why, even though I'm having an awful day, I can still smile or be joyful.  And I would know just Who to point them to as my source of joy and hope!!  I guess when we do everything as if working for the Lord (Col. 3:23) we're gonna stand out. Because we're not going to be normal!

I guess you could say that gratitude, or thankfulness, could play a role in this new attitude of joy as well.  Because when we truly stop and think about all the things that the Lord has done for us, where He brought us or what He has saved us from, we can't help but be happy about that!  Sometimes we get Israelite-itis.  The Lord did so many wonderful things and miracles for them, yet they were too soon to forget them.  They were on to the next thing they could complain about. I don't want to be like the, always forgetting what the Lord has done for me. I want to always remember and have overflowing thankfulness for all that He has done!  Countless times in the Psalms, David implores us to "give thanks to the Lord for His unfailing love!"  Just remembering what He has saved us from should be enough to be thankful and fill us with joy! 

This next passage stops me in my tracks!

Colossians 1:9-14

We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience,  and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light.  For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. 

All I can say is wow.  I don't know how many times I have read through the New Testament, and yet every time I always glean something new from His Word!   I pray that I may bear fruit in EVERY good work, growing and being strengthened so that I can have great endurance and patience, because only the Lord knows how much we're going to need that in the coming years!

And finally, Psalm 126:3 reminds us, "The Lord has done GREAT things for us and we are filled with JOY!!!