As I am remembering different times of trials in my life when my car was totaled, I didn't know where I was living the next day, relationship with best friend went sour, my body was physically, emotionally, mentally stressed out, plus more. In times like all these it is hard to be happy. It is so easy to focus on my problem and just think how I could have gotten to that situation or part in my life. I ask God "why this is happening to me?" I didn't understand. I trust God, I pray, I feel like I know my God. I begin to realize and know that in certain circumstances there are times where it is out of my complete control. I cannot worry and focus on these situations in my life unless I want them to bring me down. I think that I (we, as humans) think WAYY too much. We put so much pressure on ourselves to succeed and try to look happy through lifes circumstances when sometimes they are out of our control. Trials you never expect or think, "that would never happen to me" WILL happen in your life at one point or another and we WILL have to overcome them. I think it is what we do with it all that will make the difference.
Something huge I have been praying for the past year is for Gods JOY in my life. I wanted to really know what the difference between happiness and joy is. I think in general, most people don't know, or think it is the same thing. I really didn't know. I began to study, (in the bible and dictionary) a little more about this. In the NIV translation of the bible "JOY" is mentioned 255 times in some way. Then I looked for the word "happiness" and it does not appear at all. (maybe some versions have the word "happy" a couple times). This made me wonder, think and realize wow, there must be a difference between the two and why. We always tend to think all we want is "happiness" in life. HMMM…interesting, is that really what we want?
Dictionary definitions seem to link happiness to good fortune and luck. But the overall theme seems to describe it as a state of feeling happy, delighted or content about something. It has more of a temporary nature. It seems to have more of an outward expression of the inner feeling such as a smile, laugh, etc, due to an accomplishment in an event, etc…Happinness is the expression of "feeling good."
Joy, on the other hand is defined more as extreme happiness, keen pleasure, ecstasy. It is triggered from within, while happiness is triggered by external events. You may not feel good or feel happy but joy is more of a part of who you are.
I found all this very interesting. It made me think that I didn't want to try to waste my time on trying to be happy in all situations, because it is just temporary. Once that sense of accomplishment withers, or dies down, then you aren't happy anymore and we need to find something, someone, to fill our life to feel happiness again. I realized that is exhausting. We put so much effort into looking for something that is going to fill the void and make us feel happiness. We will be completely happy for one day and the next something didn't go right, so all of a sudden we do not feel happy.
1 Peter 1:6-8 6" In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire —may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 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"
WOW, to me this is so powerful. I have suffered tons of trials in life (i'm sure you have too). They were there for a reason. It tested my faith in my God. It challenged me and made me want complete JOY! I didn't want to be tired of trying to be happy through my circumstances because I did not feel happy and I didn't always express it in my face or words. But instead I began to pray for God's JOY. That I would look above my circumstances and be grateful for who my God is and know that I can't do anything without Him. Once I focused on how good my God is and what He has done for me and that I was grateful for the little things. My whole mindset, heart, and everything changed. I no longer looked for things to make me happy but I would pray for complete JOY in my life and that I would be a Joyful person. I never wanted this feeling to go away. Then I realized it won't go away as long as I remember my God is bigger than me and my circumstances and what He has done for me and continues to do is something to cherish each day. I may not always feel happy but I AM JOYFUL and know that God provides through every little thing.
We are never going to understand everything that happens in our life, or why. So we need to stop trying to understand it all. Our minds can't wrap around it. Make it simple. Trust God. Pray for JOY, know He never leaves you and remember you can't do anything on your own. That will bring you JOY.
He has not ever failed me. Through every trial I have learned to keep a good attitude and remember how there is a reason I am going through this season right now and there is nothing in my own hands that I can do so I choose to have JOY!!!! God is sooo good!
