More Than Happiness
“Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy. When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world. So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you. In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.” John 16:20-24
INSIGHT
One of the greatest lessons I continue to learn is the difference between happiness and joy. To some, these words are synonyms and used interchangeably. But for me, these two words are worlds apart. I tend to view my happiness through the things that bring me enjoyment - sports, iced coffee, cooler weather, video games, and writing. When I experience them, they make me happy and, typically, make my day a little better. But, if my mood or circumstances are in the wrong place, they do not have the same effect. I cannot write on a day filled with frustration or stress. Enjoying sports is difficult when the wild things of this world consume me. Ultimately, a lot of what makes us happy is temporary.
Then you have joy. Joy is deep and sustainable. It does not waver amid the stress. The most remarkable twist to joy is that you can be full of it in the worst scenarios. I have wrestled with the fact that the only thing promised to bring us joy is Jesus. Everything else falls short. Jesus brought joy to the world, and He serves as the Sustainer of it.
Jesus did not come into the world to make us happy; He came to bring us joy through a relationship with Him. The joy of knowing and walking with Jesus pierces all circumstances. When Jesus lived on this earth, He did not feel happiness in every moment. Jesus experienced anger when people misused the temple (Matthew 21), Jesus experienced hunger and fatigue when He journeyed through the wilderness (Matthew 4), and Jesus experienced sadness and loss over the people He loved (John 11). Though happiness did not always exist in Jesus’ life, He found Himself in a constant place of joy. Jesus had two primary sources that allowed Him to remain there: His Father and His purpose. Jesus lived in joy despite every up and down in life. Ultimately, He realized that the world never gave Him His joy, so the world could not take it away.
The same is true for us. Jesus offers us the deep-rooted joy we need. All of us face challenges - hurt, sadness, loss, and frustration on so many levels. Spending our lives looking for happiness will leave us exhausted and stuck in an endless cycle. But when we find Jesus, we rest in sustainable joy that goes beyond our circumstances. Even when life throws all it has at us, Jesus is with us and sustains us. We have the chance to choose joy every day, and when we do, we get to share in the joy Jesus has for us.
REFLECTION
Are you putting more weight into your happiness or your joy?
How can you find your joy in Jesus?
PRAYER
Father, thank you for allowing me access to an unstoppable joy. Though the world tries to convince me to pursue sources of happiness, I know that it is short-lived. Real joy goes beyond the circumstances of life and resides in You, and You alone. Help me live out of Your source of joy and help persevere me through the challenges of this life. Thank You for being You Father, and I pray these things in Your holy name, Amen.
Port City writer Davy Nance wrote today’s devotional.
