A transcendent joy

Happiness comes and goes according to the circumstances of our lives. We have a new baby or grandchild, and we are all smiles. We earn a paid holiday and we are ecstatic ! The boss gives us a great raise just when we need money and we are exalted. But the euphoria is only temporary. Inevitably, something changes and takes away our happiness. The baby falls ill, it rains during our holidays, our work disappears because of a merger of companies. The positive feeling is fleeting. At best, we end up with a feeling of emptiness, at worst, with a sense of anger.

So how can we recover our happiness when the situation changes ? We can not just wish for happiness to return. We can not pursue it. Trying harder to recover it only brings frustration. If only circumstances make us happy, then our situation must change so that we are happy again. But that is precisely why we are unhappy. We do not, and will never have, control over things that make us say "do not worry, be happy." (Do not worry, be happy.)

Happiness is circumstantial and elusive, but joy is not circumstantial. We can have joy even when we are not happy. Some hear Christians talking about joy and think that "joy" is simply the religious equivalent of the word "happiness." But joy is different from happiness. If the situation permits, everyone can experience happiness. Even people who do not know God or curse God can be happy. But they do not have joy, for this blessing for our lives has a totally different source.

According to Scripture, it is the Holy Spirit who produces joy : "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, benignity, Fidelity, gentleness, temperance"(Galatians 5: 22-23).

Is not it interesting to see that joy is mentioned just after love ? Obviously, God does not want us to live bitter, angry and depressed lives. He knows that happiness is fleeting, then He gives us, through the Spirit, a supernatural joy that transcends our circumstances. Joy is a wonderful gift that accompanies salvation, through faith in Jesus Christ. It is a gift transmitted by the Holy Spirit to our inner being.

Jim Cymbala