Of happiness and joy

Rebecca wrote about Pursuing happyness the other day. It got me thinking about happiness versus joy. I've grown up in a church that distinguishes between the two. Happiness is an ice cream cone on a hot summer day. Joy is a spiritual emotion--not even an emotion really. A gift. One of God's graces which we never deserve but which he gives us anyway.

Happiness is transitory. It's great while it lasts, but when you're done with the ice cream cone, you're done with the ice cream cone. That's it. No more. Oh, sure, you could get another ice cream cone, but sooner or later you would run out of ice cream or cones. And you'd probably be sick to your stomach.

Joy, on the other hand, may leave you, but it is a reaching into eternity. It's quiet, reaching into the corners of your heart and filling them with something both heady and sobering. And joy comes regardless of the circumstances. I believe that it is one of the marks of a great Christian that they carry joy and peace in their heart no matter what the outward aspects of their life. I know that's challenging. Believe me, I fail every day.

Happiness is great. But you can find it anywhere. Books make me happy. Cooking makes me happy. Chocolate makes me happy. Dogs sitting on my lap (nice, small dogs, that is) make me happy.

But joy? I can only find joy with God. So I'll seek joy.

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Take your medicine!

"I love to laugh,
Loud, and long, and clear!
I love to laugh,
So everybody can hear!
The more I laugh,
The more I'm filled with glee;
And the more with glee,
The more I'm a merrier me!"

Sometimes taking your medicine can be unpleasant--we've all had the bitter taste of whatever nasty but necessary liquid cough syrup our mothers pushed at our mouths with the usual "Just swallow it quickly dear, you'll be done."

As a child, I was convinced the makers of Robitussin hated children. Why? Because if they liked kids, they would have made their product taste good.

That was one medicine I loathed taking.

There was another medicine I loved, though. I would take this medicine any day, anytime.

Laughter.

It's no surprise to me that the Bible says a merry heart does good like medicine (Proverbs 17:22). How many times have you been down in the dumps, and someone came along with a bright smile and a happy heart, cheering you up and lifting your spirits with their exuberance?

Humor is one of the most universally appreciated forms of communication.
But like nearly everything else, there is a good side and a bad side.

It can build up and edify--
Or it can tear down and discourage

It can exhort us unto godliness--
Or exhort us in ungodliness

It can point us towards wisdom--
Or point us towards foolishness

It's all in how we use it.

Sometimes I think Christians have the impression that we must always be serious, and never enjoy things for the sake of enjoyment.
While I would certainly agree that all we do should be done for the glory of God, we have to ask ourselves, exactly how is God glorified?

When the joy of the Lord exudes from our countenance, that is God-glorifying.
I have found that the most Spirit-filled, daily walking Christians are often the funniest and most uplifting people to be around. Why? Because when you are filled with Him, you can't help but bubble over with joy. We as Christians should be known for a twinkle in our eye and a ready smile on our lips. How can a lost world believe the change in our hearts if they don't see it on our faces?

When we delight in the Lord, His goodness, His gifts, the way He created us, that is God-glorifying.
John Piper once said "God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him."
Much as a parent delights to see his young child running merrily through the yard, a happy smile and laughing face, so God delights in us living and happily being who He created us to be. We are HIS creation. Made exactly as He wanted us. While none of us are perfect, and we all are works in progress, I believe that God smiles when he sees us smiling, and perhaps even chuckles at some of our less-than-smart antics. Knowing Him is to know happiness. It's simply the truth.

This is not to say that we should go through life laughing at everything, and not taking anything seriously. There are many things in our walk with God that are very serious. There are many things that are not funny. He is God, and that is no laughing matter.
Laughter that takes delight in what grieves God is not God-glorifying. Laughter that elevates or exalts what God has declared unrighteous is not God-glorifying. Laughter that encourages us to view as petty what God says is important is not God-glorifying.

But laughter that causes us to smile up at God and take pleasure in Him is, I believe, the best medicine we could ask for.

Sweet to the soul, health to the bones, and a whole lot yummier than Robitussin.

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Joy

Today didn’t begin well. Mondays are never my favorite day of the week; the beginning of the work week and the weekend so far away. And this morning, I woke up earlier than usual, but from an unpleasant dream, in which I had already woken up to mayhem and unpleasantness. No clothes found suitable to be worn to work and fighting siblings at the unearthly hour of 5:30 AM. Or so I dreamt. I awoke and lay there for a full five minutes, trying to decide if my dream was real or not.

It was not a pleasant way to begin the day and I couldn’t help feeling gloomy towards the world as I rummaged through my clothes to find something to wear to work, as I ate breakfast and made that last mad dash around the house to get everything I need for work ready.

And was nearly late punching in.

I worked for eight hours, came home with a headache and a scratchy throat, and sat down to tackle homework. More inclined to be grumpy and not at all willing to play Nice Girl, I gave a neighbor boy a look of doom when I discovered that he was annoying my middle sister. I ate supper, I texted, I worked on my homework and remembered a million and one things that should be done and won’t be before bed tonight – because I am so very, very tired.

But this blog post must be written first.

Today wasn’t a horrible, no-good, bad day, like the one in the children’s book; it was just plain out, ordinary, busy and…full of things that needed to be done, as much as I didn’t want to do them.

That’s life, at least in the adult world. We rise early when we’d rather sleep in. We go to work when we’d rather play. We bite our tongues, when people are cranky in the workplace and when our boss piles another thing to do in our in-box, or when our littlest sister is whining for the umpteenth time. We do what must be done because it has to be done and that’s life.

But we are Christians. There’s got to be something different. There has to be.

The one thing missing from my day?

Joy.

Joy doesn’t always mean happiness. Joy means rejoicing, in spite of all circumstances. Rejoice in the Lord always, again I say, rejoice.

Take a moment. Breathe. Thank God for your day, ordinary or horrible-no-good-bad or brilliant-sky-blue-wonderful. Thank Him. Rejoice in what He has given you. Take joy in His strength and rejoice.

Always.

Tomorrow is Tuesday. That’s part of Always and I’m going to at least try to get up rejoicing tomorrow morning.

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Single Passion

"God created us to live with a single passion: to joyfully display his supreme excellence in all the spheres of life. The wasted life is the life without this passion. God calls us to pray and think and dream and work not to be made much of, but to make much of Him in every part of our lives." ~ John Piper

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