Happy vs Joy

#1 06-26-2009, 03:59 AM

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Soulheart3 · #2 06-26-2009, 06:56 AM

Well I would have to say both are important. Joy as defined by your statement is something we should be striving for on a perpetual basis, yet our emotions are valid and important. The Lord never told us to be emotionless automons, He never even told us not to be angry. He just said in your anger, do not sin. I would never turn away from the emotion of happiness because it part of how the Lord made me. Thats just my thoughts on it.
-Brad

#3 06-26-2009, 01:25 PM

I believe God gave us emotions and they are good however they are fickle and are influenced primarily by our thinking. Often times our thinking is faulty. Joy however I believe is inspired by God and is something which is enduring; it holdups even through the difficult times. This may be a weak example but let's say I am having a very difficult battle physically but there is something about the birth of a new born child which brings joy in the darkest of situations. I need to ponder this more so I can give a better answer but I do believe joy as the scripture says... "the joy of the Lord is our strength."

SeraphimH · #4 06-26-2009, 02:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MMari

I believe God gave us emotions and they are good however they are fickle and are influenced primarily by our thinking. Often times our thinking is faulty. Joy however I believe is inspired by God and is something which is enduring; it holdups even through the difficult times. This may be a weak example but let's say I am having a very difficult battle physically but there is something about the birth of a new born child which brings joy in the darkest of situations. I need to ponder this more so I can give a better answer but I do believe joy as the scripture says... "the joy of the Lord is our strength."

Excellent post Mmari, you touched on some points that a lot of us overlook.

Everyone is filled with the full range of emotions. Our happiness is a reaction, either to physical or mental stimuli. It is fleeting, only producing itself through pleasure of some kind. Our joy, on the other hand, is a perception granted to us from our love of God. It is a product of the heart
("nous" is the proper term, more on that some other time). It tints our perceptions into optimism, through our faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, helping us to believe that all things are possible and are sustained in God. It resists all adverse situations and gives us undying prayer and faith, and great love for those around us. Orthodox refer to this as "sorrowful joy", since it is only granted by God through intense prayer, and humility of soul and body.

It is not to be confused with self confidence, which is our reliance upon ourselves. It is a worldly demeanor and is a product of our sin of pride, and unlike joy, usually has no emphasis on the outcome of the activity that generates it.

colin · #5 06-26-2009, 03:51 PM

I haven't serched them all out but allways when I think of Joy, I think of John the baptice and how he lept for joy and consider it to be the leap of faith. I think your right , it means much more then happyness. If the lord can change our sadness into gladness ,wickedness into lovingkindness, weeping into singing, sackcloth into robes, mourning into dancing ect, I'm sure it must mean he changes your fear into Joy. I think it means you are comming out of darkness because Joy comes in the morning. I allso think it means you are at peace with God. Its like joy is short form for rejoice, all who take refuge in the lord . Good one brother.

#6 06-30-2009, 07:59 AM

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Soulheart3 · #7 06-30-2009, 08:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Called2Freedom

Soulheart3,

By all means our emotions are important and valid. Anger, happiness, sadness and so on all have great value in and of themselves. Just as Anger seems to tell us when something is out of wack or cut across what we believe is good and right, so happiness seems to confirm when something is good and right.

The problem I see is that our emotions run with the taint of sin just as the rest of our fleshly existance does. We all have experienced something the seemed good and things that seemed evil only to later find out we were wrong.

Joy on the otherhand being solely from God does not carry the taint of sin and is therefore, pure. Even in the midst of trial and tribulation the beliver can still know the Joy of the Lord but only a very few will find any happiness in those situations. It is likely that if they do find happiness during trial and tribulation that they are confusing happiness with joy as is so commomn in this world.

So by all means be happy or be angry or be sad but before you do that makes sure that you first know true joy. That joy that comes from the Lord so that you can filter your sin tainted emotions through God given Joy that you may preceive things as they are and not how you want them to be.

I agree with everything you said!

-Brad

#8 06-30-2009, 08:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Called2Freedom

Soulheart3,

By all means our emotions are important and valid. Anger, happiness, sadness and so on all have great value in and of themselves. Just as Anger seems to tell us when something is out of wack or cut across what we believe is good and right, so happiness seems to confirm when something is good and right.

The problem I see is that our emotions run with the taint of sin just as the rest of our fleshly existance does. We all have experienced something the seemed good and things that seemed evil only to later find out we were wrong.

Joy on the otherhand being solely from God does not carry the taint of sin and is therefore, pure. Even in the midst of trial and tribulation the beliver can still know the Joy of the Lord but only a very few will find any happiness in those situations. It is likely that if they do find happiness during trial and tribulation that they are confusing happiness with joy as is so commomn in this world.

So by all means be happy or be angry or be sad but before you do that makes sure that you first know true joy. That joy that comes from the Lord so that you can filter your sin tainted emotions through God given Joy that you may preceive things as they are and not how you want them to be.

Our flesh desires happiness, our spirit longs for joy. The JOY of the LORD is our strength, whereas the happiness of the carnal nature gives it strength. The joy that we have IN god, strengthens us spiritually. The happiness that the carnal nature feels strengthens it. The carnal nature does not have happiness IN someone or something, only happiness by acquiring something it desires. It therefore remains miserable until its desire is satisfied. The spirit has joy IN christ, and since he has possession of US, it does not need to acquire anything other than the joy of the lord to be strong. The joy of a christian lies in the giving away of self to another. As the bible says 'we do not belong to ourselves'. The happiness of the flesh depends on how much it can get without ever giving anything in return.

Heneni

All men seek happiness even those who hang themselves.

Heneni

#9 06-30-2009, 04:35 PM

[quote=Called2Freedom;42939]Soulheart3,

The problem I see is that our emotions run with the taint of sin just as the rest of our fleshly existance does.

I can see that. I have so often said, God I can't trust my emotions but I can trust you. The "Joy" that is not of this world, yes is pure, and as with things that are pure from God, you can find endless truth in them. Happiness just takes you back to the "source" that is making you happy, Oh, but so does Joy! The source of Joy is so much more pleasurable and enduring.