Momentary happiness
When I saw this scientific formula for happiness in a Psychology Today article, I laughed out loud:
Although this absurd formula produced momentary happiness, it did not produce lasting joy. Please don't misunderstand; I enjoy a good laugh as much as anyone else. That is why I appreciate Karl Barth's statement: "Laughter is the closest thing to God's grace." While both happiness and joy can make us laugh, there is a significant difference between them. A difference I experienced many years ago when my father died (we are pictured together here on the right). Of course, I was not happy about my father's passing, but I was comforted and encouraged by the joy of knowing that he was experiencing a new closeness to God in eternity. The thought of this glorious reality lingered and gave me joy. Depending on the translation, the Bible uses the words happy and happiness about 30 times, while joy and gladness appear more than 300 times. In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word Sama (translated as rejoice, joy, and gladden) is used to cover a wide range of human experiences, such as sex, marriage, the birth of children, harvest, victory, and drinking wine (Hohelied 1,4 ; Sprüche 05,18; Psalm 113,9; Jesaja 9,3 and Psalm 104,15In the New Testament, the Greek word "chara" is primarily used to express joy in God's redeeming acts, the coming of his Son. (Lukas 2,10)...and the resurrection of Jesus (Lukas 24,41)As we read in the New Testament, we understand that the word "joy" is more than a feeling; it is a characteristic feature of a Christian. Joy is part of the fruit produced by the inner work of the Holy Spirit.
We are well acquainted with the joy we find in the good deeds of the parables of the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the prodigal son. (Lukas 15,2-24)...see. Through the restoration and reconciliation of what was "lost," we recognize here the principal figure, God the Father, embodied as joy. Scripture also teaches us that true joy is not influenced by external circumstances such as pain, suffering, and loss. Joy can be the result of suffering for Christ's sake. (Kolosser 1,24)Even in the face of the terrible suffering and shame of the crucifixion, Jesus experiences great joy. (Hebräer 12,2).
Knowing the reality of eternity, many of us have experienced true joy even when we have had to say goodbye to a loved one. This is true because there is an unbreakable relationship between love and joy. We recognize this in Jesus' words when he summarized his teachings for his disciples: “I tell you these things so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. And this is my commandment: Love one another as I have loved you.” (Johannes 15,11-12)Just as we grow in God's love, so too does our joy grow. Indeed, all the fruit of the Holy Spirit grows within us, just as we grow in love.
In his letter to the church in Philippi, which Paul wrote while imprisoned in Rome, he helps us understand the difference between happiness and joy. In this letter, he used the words joy, rejoice, and gladly 16 times. I have visited many prisons and detention centers, and typically, you don't find happy people there. Yet Paul, chained in prison, felt joy, not knowing whether he would live or die. Because of his faith in Christ, Paul was willing to see his circumstances through the eyes of faith in a completely different light than most people would. Notice what he says in Philipper 1,12-14 wrote:
"My dear brothers! I want you to know that my detention did not prevent the spread of the gospel. On the contrary! It has now become clear to all my guards here and also to the other participants in the trial that I am only imprisoned because I believe in Christ. In addition, many Christians have gained new courage and confidence through my imprisonment. They are now preaching God's word without fear and without timidity.”
These powerful words came from an inner joy that Paul experienced despite his circumstances. He knew who he was in Christ and who Christ was in him. Philipper 4,11-13 he wrote:
"I'm not saying this to draw your attention to my need. After all, I have learned to get along in all situations in life. Whether I have little or much, I am quite familiar with both, and so I can cope with both: I can be full and starve; I can be in want and I can have in abundance. I can do all this through Christ, who gives me power and strength.”
We can summarize the difference between happiness and joy in many ways.
- Happiness is temporary, often lasting only a moment or the result of short-term satisfaction. Joy is eternal and spiritual, a key to realizing who God is and what He has done, what He is doing and will do.
- Because happiness depends on many factors. It is fleeting, still deepening or maturing. Joy also evolves as we grow in our relationship with God and with each other.
- Happiness comes from temporal, external events, observations and actions. Joy lies in you and comes from the work of the Holy Spirit.
Because God created us for communion with himself, nothing else can satisfy our souls and bring us lasting joy. Through faith, Jesus lives in us, and we in him. Because we no longer live for ourselves, we can rejoice in all circumstances, even in suffering. (Jakobus 1,2), uniting ourselves with Jesus, who suffered for us. Despite his great suffering in prison, Paul wrote in Philipper 4,4: "Rejoice that you belong to Jesus Christ. And I want to say it again: Rejoice!"
Jesus called us to a life of self-sacrifice for others. Within this life, there is a seemingly paradoxical statement: "Whoever wants to save their life at all costs will lose it, but whoever gives their life for me will gain it forever." (Matthäus 16,25)As human beings, we often spend hours or even days giving little thought to God's glory, love, and holiness. But I am certain that when we see Christ in all his glory, we will shake our heads and say, "How could I have given so much attention to other things?"
We do not yet see Christ as clearly as we would like. We live in slums, so to speak, and it's hard to imagine places we've never been. We are too busy trying to survive the slum to enter God's glory (see our article The Joy of Salvation). The joy of eternity makes it possible to understand the sufferings of this life as opportunities to receive grace, to know God, and to trust Him more deeply. We come to appreciate the joys of eternity even more after struggling with the bondage of sin and all the difficulties of this life. We will appreciate glorified bodies even more after experiencing the pain of our physical bodies. I believe that's why Karl Barth said, "Joy is the simplest form of gratitude." We can be thankful that joy was established before Jesus. She enabled Jesus to endure the cross. Likewise, joy was also set before us.
Joseph Tkach
President GRACE COMMUNION INTERNATIONAL
