Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (English Standard Version)
In this scripture, we read of Paul and Timothy writing to each other about giving thanks in all circumstances. If your happiness is based on things working out in your favor, you can expect to be disappointed. But if your hope is built on Jesus, you can find joy in the journey, even when life doesn’t feel as smiley.
In a recent conversation with friends of mine, we agreed “happy” is very often the goal most people aim to achieve in their lives. The trouble seems to be that it is also fickle, shallow, and fleeting. As the word itself implies, happiness is associated with happenings, happenstance, luck, and fortune. If circumstances are favorable, you are happy; if not, then you’re unhappy. One of the great misunderstandings we sometimes have is the belief that we are supposed to be happy all the time. I wonder if this misunderstanding stems from confusion about the meaning of the words – happiness and joy, particularly as those terms are found in Scripture. They have become confused and conflated in our modern-day usage; they have come to be thought of as synonyms, and their profoundly important differences are seldom recognized.
At first glance, the differences may not be obvious, but there is a world of difference between being happy and being joyful. The Greek term most frequently translated into English as “happiness” – especially in the New Testament – is makarios, a word that refers to that freedom the wealthy and powerful enjoy from many of the normal cares and worries of daily life. It is a word used to describe the lucky soul who receives some measure of good fortune – money, health, good looks, perfectly obedient and highly intelligent children, and that sort of thing. This is, of course, exactly what our modern English word “happiness” is all about as well. In other words, if you are happy, it is because things are going well for you – your outward circumstances are good, and they are good by virtue of happenstance, happenings, chance, or luck. When there are no crises in life, we feel happy. Happiness occurs when you find that $20 bill in your jeans, when work is going well, you get surprised with some freshly baked cookies, your favorite team wins a close game, and so on. All these sorts of things can create moments of happiness.
“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid”.
John 14:27
We do not have an example of an always happy, always perky, or cheery Jesus. What we do have in Jesus, however, is the promise of joy. The Greek word most often translated as “joy” is chairo, a term perhaps best defined as the “contentment or comfort that comes from deep understanding” and the “good mood of a soul at peace.” Chairo is best understood as a comforting peace that is found in a trusting relationship with God. Joy is the peace promised by Jesus to His apostles when He said to them at the Last Supper: “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27).
While happiness is clearly that wonderfully pleasant feeling we get when things are going our way and we are getting what we want out of life, joy is a gift of comfort and assurance that a loving Heavenly Father gives His children in the midst of their pain and suffering and challenges – insofar as they choose to put that pain and suffering and those challenges into His hands, trusting that He will know what to do for them in every instance.
Write down a few difficult circumstances in your life. Then for each one, consider a reason you can find joy in it.
…now what, Linda
now what, Linda? 