Joy vs. Happiness

4-1-2009
John Maxwell was quoted as saying, “People say that wisdom comes with age. I don’t believe that’s true. Sometimes age comes alone.” This is so very true. We are going to make mistakes in life, they key is to learn from them.
As we reflect on the past, I’m sure we’ve all wondered what in the world we were thinking. I know I’ve made more mistakes than I care to think about, but I learn from them, yet some people never change. A definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result. If you keep doing what you are doing, you are going to keep getting what you are getting. This message can apply to a lot of things. For instance, if you struggle with your finances, change your spending habits. If you don’t fit in your favorite pair of jeans, stop eating so much, start working out, or both. Change sounds so simple, yet very few are able to muster up the courage and stay focused to do so. Many of us live life in desperate need of change, an eternal change.
Time and time again, I speak with people that feel as if there is a void in their life, and time and time again, I try to help people understand there is only one way to fill the void, transformation. People turn to alcohol, drugs, violence, X-rated stuff, and more to try to fill the emptiness they feel inside, or to try to escape reality. Truth is you will always have a void if what you cling to is of this earth. In order to live life to the fullest, you must fill your soul with the Joy of knowing and accepting Christ into your life. Doesn’t it make sense that the very person that made you can complete you if you will give Him a chance?
It’s extremely important to understand the difference between happiness and joy. Happiness is a result of your happenings. When your happenings are good, you are happy. When they aren’t good, you are unhappy, thus happiness is only temporary because it is a result of external/earthly factors. On the other hand, Joy is lasting because it is based on God’s presence within us. As long as you base life on earthly circumstances, you will always have a void in your life. When you accept Christ into your life, you will be filled with Joy at all times because God will not leave you. As we spoke about last week, God is the only constant. Everything on this earth will disappear at some point, so why put your eggs in earthly baskets? That doesn’t make sense. By putting your life in God’s hands you will live a joyous life, where you will never be alone again!

Application:
1. Read Psalm 16
2. Do you understand the difference between Joy and Happiness? Relay this message to someone else that may have a void in their life that needs to be filled with the only source of eternal fulfillment, Christ.
3. If you are a believer in Christ and feel as if something is missing, I want to encourage you to get plugged in to a bible based church where you can be in a community of like-minded people. It will take courage, but it will be worth it!