Happy, happy, joy, joy ( LOL, couldn’t resist!)
Months ago we had this fruit of the spirit for our Sunday School class. Did you know there was a difference between the two? We taught our Youth the difference between happiness and joy that month as I learned right along! Although they have some of the same characteristics they are extremely different! Who knew?!
I couldn’t tell you where I saw this a long time ago! But it is great so I am going to share it!
Happiness is like a thermometer that changes based on the environment around it. Joy is a thermostat that we can learn to set and will effect the environment around it.
Happiness
It’s an emotion usually directly related to circumstances that are currently happening. Usually this is directly linked to pleasure. We get happy when are kids are being good for us. I know I am happy when my husband and I get our time alone. The pleasure of things going our way. All of the things that make a temporary happiness. Let’s be real here. When things don’t go our way, are broke, and more… we are no longer happy. We are sad.
Joy
Joy is an attitude of the heart. It comes from the heart! It’s the state in which we are knowing and serving our God. It is when you are in right relation with Him. We rejoice because we know that the Lord is good. The easiest way to explain this is... In a believer’s life we are not happy (we are sad) when a loved one passes on but we are joyful in the fact that we know where that person went. We know God gave them chance before the final judgment. We know that God is with us while we are grieving. Joy brings us peace in the middle of the storms. Doesn’t it just make you feel better thinking that way! We are joyful in life because we know God is with us at all times! God provides all of our needs. It makes me happy that I am going to have some extra money to help pay the bills, thanks to a new part time job. But it makes me joyful knowing that God did this for me! He is so good!
Some verses to check out:
Ecclesiastes 2:1-11. This is what happens when you build your life on pleasure. We have to look beyond these things to find what will fill our hearts!
Philippians 4:4 talks about believers rejoicing because they are in the Lord.
Rejoicing in troubles. 1 Peter 1:6-8 and James 1:2
Romans 5:3-5. Paul tells us about rejoicing in suffering because of the final fruit that would result.
This is my prayer today. Comes from Romans 15:13
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. Amen!
Many, many blessings today and everyday!
Chele
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Wonderful! Excellant! Perfect!
ReplyDeleteBoy, did I need this today...and yesterday! Thanks for the word. I'm going to check those scriptures out. BTW...we sink "Happy, happy, joy, joy" around here all the time. It cracks us up!
ReplyDeleteI came over from Overcoming Busy. Thanks for this posting and sharing. I have been thinking about this a bit, as I am a very visual observer I tend to get caught up in the physical. Every now and then I can really use a reminder like yours that there is so much more to life than the literal physical world. So thanks! Abbie
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting my blog! And you are very welcome Abbie! That is all I want to do here. Is reach out to others, you just made my day! :)
ReplyDelete@Marci- Yay! I am glad we are not the only family walking around singing that! I would never let my kids watch it now but it was THE Cartoon back then!
ReplyDelete@Erika... thanks girl! :)