We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
I’m not sure if it needs to be stated, then, that pretty much everyone wants to be happy and that it’s natural to seek happiness. Unless you’ve had a truly terrible life with a messed-up perspective on reality, happiness is something we all want. Indeed when life is beating us down and it feels like the world is on our shoulders, we might cry out “I just want to be happy.”
Happiness and joy are closely linked, but in Christian circles we make the distinction that joy is something that comes from within and is not necessarily predicated on external circumstances. It’s a fruit and a feeling that comes from who you are, and not what is being done to you. Now you can for sure feel joy and happiness when good things are happening, but when things turn bad, happiness disappears in a moment. Joy remains. Joy endures.
Another way to think about joy versus happiness is in your perspective on life based on what you give versus what you can get out of it.
Get the Most out of Life
The modern philosophy of life is pretty self-focused and all about how you as an individual can feel the best you can. There are many self-help books and articles providing guides on how you can be more fulfilled and happier in your life. Not to knock this kind of “pursuit of happiness” too much, but I’m not sure it can deliver on it’s promises. No matter how “mindful” you are or how much you try to use “positive psychology” when life gets tough, I don’t think these ideas have the staying power many people are seeking and ultimately are not fulfilling.
Life Giving Spirits
I once heard the teacher Robert Lewis state that men have a choice to either go around sucking as much out of life as they can, or, alternatively, seeking to be what he called “life giving spirits.” This was part of a series called “Men’s Fraternity” that has since spun off the “Authentic Manhood” movement. This idea clicked with me wanting to be a person who seeks to be the source of joy, rather than being the one that consumes happiness.So how do you do that best? I’d argue that in order to be that conduit of joy, you need to connect back with the ultimate source, who is God, as the Bible says:
looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.So if you want to know God’s joy in your life and be a source of joy to others that sustains through good times and tough times... that’s a very good reason to believe in Jesus and trust Him.
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