Searching for Happiness

Do you live your life in a culture of joy? We need joy in our lives. We often conflate joy and happiness. Our world tries to sell happiness, but it is very elusive. Happiness is an emotion in response to the current outcome. God's desire is that you have joy in your life that is greater than the outcomes that you face throughout the day.

John 15:11 says that God is hoping that we have His joy in our lives. When you have His joy in you, your joy will be complete. Joy is a durable and permeating gratitude rooted in unchanging outcomes. Gratitude is the difference between whether or not you're a joyful person or not. Gratitude is based in the grace of God. You are saved: it's an unchanging condition not affected by circumstance. We also have the future grace of being seated with Christ in Heaven. Those two things produce a gratitude that permeates in our lives.

The reason Jesus can say what He does in verse 11 is because of all that He says in John 15:1-10. The Greek word for joy is chara. The usage of the word is joy, gladness, and a source of joy. The root of the word is the awareness of God's grace, favor, and joy. It describes joy as "grace recognized." We have joy because of grace. So, where does joy come from? It comes from being rooted in grace, which produces gratitude in your life for what He's done and what He's going to do.

This is why in Hebrews 12:2 it says for the joy set before Him, for the future grace, Jesus endured the Cross, despising its shame and is seated at the right hand of the Father. 1 Thessalonians 2:17-20 is where Paul calls that church "his joy." His joy is them being there in future glory. When people aren't happy, it's normally related to the circumstances that they don't like. When people aren't joyful, it's because they forgot to be grateful for the condition that they're already in in Christ.

How do we become a more grateful people?

You have to understand that Jesus is the source of joy. He is the vine, we abide in Him, and He'll remain in us. There is no joy in your branch unless Jesus is flowing in you. The fruit found in Galatians 5:22-24 is the result of the root.

Our focus then becomes getting more Jesus, not trying to get more joy. Ten times in six verses, Jesus Himself says "remain" or "abide." We have to remain in Jesus! In Galatians 5:25, it says to keep in step with the Spirit, which sounds a lot like Jesus saying, "Remain in me."

Galatians 5:26 continues and tells us how nothing shoots an arrow through the heart of gratitude like a spirit of envy. It's like taking a pair of shears and cutting off any of the fruit of the Spirit that was present. Make everything about you, and you will quickly forget that you are saved and alive, and going to be seated with Christ. You've lost your gratitude.

Our goal is not more joy; it's Jesus.

The joy is made complete in is service to others. The command Jesus gave us is to love each other. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay his life down for his friends. You will not become your happiest by investing all your time trying to become happy. You will become your happiest by trying to bring someone else joy.

Joy is a process. Happiness is overnight. We have instantaneous hits of dopamine at our fingertips at all times, but it's making the world more anxious and depressed, not more joyful. To have joy, you can commit to the process of practicing time with Jesus. You can inform your circumstances of your condition versus letting your circumstances inform you of your condition. You can seize the opportunity to bring someone else joy. All of these things can shift your sense of joy. God wants that for you. Joy is Jesus, Others, and You. Many of us were taught this as children, but there is a reason it has stuck around.