Happiness vs. Joy

With it being the holiday season, it's been hard to keep up the blogging! But the other night I was up late and this thought occurred to me: is Christ happiness?

         I think a huge problem with my generation and our society as a whole is that we are so bent on being happy. I recently spoke to an agnostic girl who, when asked, exclaimed that the purpose of her life was to "just be happy".This caught me off guard because that seems like a good purpose on the surface, doesn't it? But when you think about it, this question arises: is happiness really the answer to life? Do I claim to be a Christian to get some sort of satisfaction and happiness out of my religion?  No.

I do not get happiness from Christ. Following The Lord often times brings me much sorrow and "persecution" for lack of a better word. (I do not like to consider the petty things that I face to be persecution when so many other Christians face much harder circumstances.) Being a Christian quite frankly is rough! We are called to love our enemies even though the world hates us! That commandment in itself brings much frustration! This proves that not everything associated with Christianity is necessarily "happy". See this is where so many people (Christian and non-Christian alike) get happiness mixed up when it comes to having a relationship with Christ. True Christians are not selfishly living to be happy, but we are living to spread joy. True satisfying joy can ONLY come from The Lord. So here's the answer: I'm not always happy because I'm a Christian. I have ups and downs just like anyone else. What's different about me is that I am going through those happy and sad moments of life with joy. Joy allows me to be full of sorrow at times but always knowing that there is a greater cause. Joy allows me to have a hope that The Lord is making all things work together for my good and His glory. Happiness lasts only a short time, but Joy remains in a persons heart for a lifetime.

So this thought is a wonderful way to share your faith with a non-believer when they ask why they should be a Christian. The benefit of joy far outweighs anything of this world. And not only do you get joy, but you are able to understand the true purpose of life: to glorify God.