What is the difference between joy and happiness in the bible

One of the fruits of the Spirit is joy Gal Apparently Paul ached to see Timothy again and wept over him with longing but still had joy. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Do you believe in God and trust in Jesus? Then you have nothing to be troubled about, nothing to fear, you have eternal life, and that should bring great joy and that ought to make you happy too. Get newsletters and updates Close. Also, send me the Evangelical Newsletter and special offers. Also, send me the Evangelical Newsletter.

Toggle navigation. Home About. August 22, by Jack Wellman. August 22, Jack Wellman Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world. Happiness is… I think most people would agree that happiness is a goal.

Previous Post. Next Post. Browse Our Archives. Also, send me special offers. Joy, in the Biblical context, is not an emotion. There is a big difference between joy and happiness. Happiness is an emotion and temporary; joy is an attitude of the heart. Depicting joy in contrast with happiness has obscured the true meaning of both words. Joyful people are typically glad and cheerful—they smile and laugh a lot.

Opposition to the word happiness is a recent development in the church. In stark contrast to believers prior to the twentieth century, many modern Christians have portrayed happiness as, at best, inferior to joy and, at worst, evil. Oswald Chambers — , whom I greatly respect, is one of the earliest Bible teachers to have spoken against happiness. Unfortunately, because Bible teachers such as Chambers saw people trying to find happiness in sin, they concluded that pursuing happiness was sinful.

Happy is found in the King James Version, which Chambers used, a total of twenty-nine times. Just as holy speaks of holiness and joyful speaks of joy and glad speaks of gladness, obviously happy speaks of happiness! A hundred years ago, every Christian knew the meaning of joy. Some claim that joy is a fruit of the Spirit, not an emotion. But in Galatians , love and peace surround the word joy. And just because you don't feel joyful right now, that doesn't mean you're a unsaved or a "bad" Christian.

Life feels pretty bleak sometimes, but joy is not based on feeling ; it is based on knowing. Remember that your Savior loves you enough to die for you, and you will never be given more to than you are capable of handling 1 Corinthians Heidi Joelle spends her days staring at paperwork and making sure it is where it is supposed to be, how it is supposed to be, when it is supposed to be.

And then she comes home and makes sure the porky little dog isn't eating a trashcan. Between these two events she tries to learn and see as much of the world around her as possible. Look up questions:. Is there a difference between joy and happiness? Yes, yes, and yes! Joy is such a little word, but it explodes with a profound meaning.

What is Happiness? Let me explain what I mean with some examples of happiness from Scripture: "Behold how happy is the man whom God reproves. What is Joy? Joy comes from the Greek word chara , and it means "to be exceedingly glad. I want to quote two more verses for you: "I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. TL;DR Happiness will always be dependent on forces outside of ourselves. By: Heidi Joelle Heidi Joelle spends her days staring at paperwork and making sure it is where it is supposed to be, how it is supposed to be, when it is supposed to be.

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