Happiness is defined, by Merriam-Webster Dictionary, "a state of well-being and contentment." A synonym that showed up for "happiness" is "joy."
What really is joy? Is it smiling all the time? Is it getting easily excited over the little things in life?
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Why yes. Yes it is.
People have always called it immaturity. They have called it annoying.
Do you want to know what I think?
They can call it whatever they want!
I know that my happiness is joy.
My happiness is not only joy. It is the joy of The Lord.
Not many people can say that they have this joy. It can only come through knowing Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior and that he died on the cross and rose again to forgive us of our sins.
The joy of The Lord is the best kind of happiness. It is the purest form. There is no other happiness that can compare to it and there is none that ever will.
There are so many verses in the Bible that cover the topic of joy.
James 1:2-3 - "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance."
Romans 4:17 - "For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit..."
Nehemiah 8:10b - "Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength."
When times are hard, the joy of The Lord is my strength. When times are good, the joy of The Lord is my strength.
Lately I have found myself being overly excited for others. Whether it is something that they are going to do or something that they are happy about, I tend to get extremely excited about it. I get even more excited than they are and usually I cannot stop smiling.
There is only one explanation for this kind of happiness. This is the joy of The Lord.
This happiness is something that comes from the heart. It is not a plastered-on smile. It is not a facade. It is not fake. It is completely genuine. It starts in the heart and explodes through a facial expression; either a bright smile or a joy-filled laugh. It gives joy to others.
Through this joy, other people are able to see Jesus.
The joy of The Lord really is a ministry. It is being that light in the darkness. It is being a comfort to those who need it. It is giving others hope.
1 Peter 3:15 - "But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect..."
The only explanation that I have for this verse is that it is addressing the joy of The Lord. The joy of The Lord is so painfully obvious. It will hit you in the face like a pool noodle on a hot summer day. The only way to shine that light is to shine that joy.
