Hey friends,
I remember reading an article several years ago on the difference between joy and happiness. At the time, I thought they were the same thing! However, in the article it stated that joy and happiness are different; in that joy comes from knowing the great power and mercy of God. Happiness, on the other hand, is just a temporary emotion that we feel when something occurs in our favor. I took this to mean that we (as Christians) should always feel an abundant amount of joy no matter what is happening in our lives!
Now, I know that this can seem difficult, I mean there is some pretty bad stuff that can happen on this earth that makes us feel gloomy and sucks all the hope out of our lives. My friend, that is why joy is such an amazing gift from God. To obtain pure joy is to know and accept that this world is only a passing ground for us, along with all the good and bad things that come with it. It is only for the time being that we will be here, feeling happiness and sorrow, going through ups and downs. Therefore, we should fix our hearts and minds on God, and the great gift of salvation and eternal life that He has so graciously given us.
How to find joy through God
To find pure joy through God, we must look in His book (the Bible) for answers and guidance on this topic. He is so kind as to give us many references and help! I will list some of these references so you can look them up and pray to ask God for help with understanding and to obtain pure joy!
1. Joy through salvation
1 Peter 1:8-9(NIV)
8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
As I said, we as Christians should have joy because we know that we have salvation! This is a beautiful realization that one day, we will have a home with God where nothing wrong can happen to us. All of the ups and downs of this earth will be gone, and we will only have the pleasure of being with our heavenly Father.
2. Joy through God-given hope
Romans 15:13(NIV)
13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Even though we know that we have eternity with God and that all of these trials are finite, it is our human flaw to worry and stress. This is where God gives us peace and joy through trusting in Him. God never will forsake us; we are His children. Just like a parent never abandons a child, God will always be there. He is looking out for us, guiding us and protecting us from all of the bad stuff. Knowing this gives me comfort in the darkest of times!
3. Joy is a way to honor God
Psalm 27:6(NIV)
4. Joy through perseverance
James 1:2-3(NIV)
2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.
The trials that we go through on earth is supposed to bring us closer to God. It is through these trials that God shows us His love and magnificent power. He also gives us strength, courage, and wisdom through obstacles. Therefore, when we are going through hardships, instead of feeling pitiful or sorrowful, we should look to God and be thankful for His love and gifts that He is giving us.
Final thoughts
Just for fun, I thought to leave a few songs that you can listen to on the topic of joy. The hymns Trust and Obey, and Blessed Assurance come to mind when thinking of finding joy through God. They are both beautiful songs that help me to reflect on God’s love!
I have listed these verses and opinions to inspire you all to find pure joy through God. We all find ourselves suffering or down in some part of our lives. However, I encourage you to keep these verses and others you may find close by, so that they remind you of God’s love and guidance. If you all have any other verses and hymns that bring joy to you, please leave them in the comments below!
If you want some more verses to help with hardships check out my Biblical truths for when life gets overwhelming post. Also, be sure to check out my post on 20+ words for your Bible word study!
Until next time,
yasmin rose xoxo
