Happiness is desired by us all. None of us wants to be sad or numb, feeling empty and hopeless. I started considering it when I realized how desperate I was for it, finding that it seemed pretty useless. You strive to find it, and when you finally do, that thrill and high hopes is overwhelming. But eventually it dies and you're left again to strain and search for it. Happiness just doesn't feel worth the effort.
I started to think that there must be something more; something that stays and doesn't feel so materialistic. And lone and behold, I read this in one of my devotionals: “Happiness depends on something. Joy depends on Someone.” That's it!
I began to learn that there's a definite line between happiness and joy. Happiness solely relies on our lives and the circumstances surrounding it. That's why it's so fleeting because life obviously isn't easy. But joy …joy surrounds the peace and tranquility we have in Jesus Christ. It never falters, no matter what you're facing at that moment.
Have you ever met someone who was going through such a hard and miserable time, yet they had a smile on their face? I guarantee it was joy they possessed. Does that mean there will always be smiles? No. But there is a peace that is…indescribable and unexplainable, and no evil in the world can taint it. That is joy, and that is the hope we can find in Jesus. Isn't it comforting to think upon?
In the words of Oswald Chambers, “It is not our circumstances that matter, but God in our circumstances.” To have our souls ever filled with God is an amazing experience, and can bring about complete joy. There is nothing like it. There is nothing like the desperation for our Savior and going beyond happiness.
