Happiness vs. Joy
“But the fruit of the Spirit is…joy…” Galatians 5:22
The meaning of “joy” as defined by Webster’s Dictionary is “a very glad feeling; happiness; great pleasure; delight”. Joy and happiness are terms that are used interchangeably by lots of folks, believers and unbelievers, but the emotion of happiness is usually based on external circumstances which are mostly temporary. If everything is going to suit a person, than happiness is usually a by-product, but if things turn sour, the good mood and euphoria go out the window because happiness has no real internal basis.
Joy, that is, the supernatural, internal hope that dwells within believers is not found in external circumstances, but in a Person, the Person of Jesus Christ. The Apostle Peter wrote in I Peter 1:8 that even though we haven’t seen Christ, we love Him and because we believe in Him, we “rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory”. By calling joy “unspeakable”, Peter calls attention to the fact that the joy that is found in a relationship to Christ is difficult to explain or define. One who experiences this joy cannot completely convey the meaning of it, particularly to unbelievers. As the saying goes, “you just had to be there”, or, more specifically, “you just have to be in Christ” to understand true joy.
I can have joy in my heart, but not necessarily be experiencing happiness. I know that sounds like an oxymoron, but those who have that deep, abiding peace in their hearts because of their relationship with Christ understand it fully. When going through some tough times of adversity, we experience many emotions like sadness, depression, and worry, but for those who abide in Christ, there is still this little flicker of joy that convinces us that things will get better as we hold on to our faith that God cares deeply for us and has not forgotten us. King David wrote in Psalm 30:5(b) that “weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.” I wish that I could explain it better, but, like many other benefits of following Christ, one has to experience it to comprehend the value of the Spirit-filled life.