choose joy

From the YouVersion Bible App Devotional “Advent, Day 14”

Joy vs. Happiness

There are many similarities between joy and happiness. They’re both positive, make you smile, and improve your day. But there are also some big differences. So let’s explore the differences between joy and happiness.

Happiness happens to you. When a friend sends words of encouragement, you get the job, or find your lost keys, you feel happy. It’s a response and it feels good. But, like all emotions, happiness fades over time. Joy is different.

In the Bible, joy isn’t an emotion. It’s an attitude. Joy is a resilient cheerfulness anchored in the goodness of God. Think of it like a lens, helping you see your life in a different way. Joy recognizes the pain people experience every day but also remembers God’s kindness, love, and good plans for the world. Then, joy allows these truths to influence how we speak, act, and present ourselves.

So what does joy look like? Well it doesn’t always look like constant smiling and a bubbly personality. Instead, it looks like a perspective informed by the good news of Jesus.

Imagine your best friend has a surprise party later in the day. It’s your job to keep them busy until the celebration kicks off. So while you do ordinary activities with your friend, knowing there’s a party coming changes your attitude.

Knowing good news changes you, so it’s often hard to hide. As followers of Jesus, we know the best news—God loves us despite our flaws and failures and will do whatever it takes to restore every broken, painful, and unjust thing in our world. When we trust this news, joy overflows from our lives into the people around us, no matter what we’re facing.

Today, you’ll get to read a passage written by David, a shepherd who became king. In it, you’ll see he’s experiencing pain and doubt, yet he can also rejoice. Why? Because he trusts God’s love, goodness, and salvation.

But what if you’re not feeling particularly joyful this Christmas? Does it mean God isn’t working in your life? No, definitely not.

But here’s the good news: God wants to help you become a joyful presence in the world around you. In the New Testament, we get a list of qualities God’s Spirit develops in our lives. These are called the fruit of the Spirit, and as you might’ve guessed, one of them is joy. This means that as we pursue closeness with God, God will fill our hearts with joy.

There’s a party coming in the future when God finishes His restorative work, heals every injury, and wipes away every tear. We can embrace lasting joy no matter what we’re going through.

Pause and Pray:

Lord, thank You for Your offer of joy. Please help me choose to accept Your offer. Help me to be thankful and to joyfully celebrate what You have done before and what You are doing now. Teach me to be obedient to You in everything I do. In Jesus’ name, amen.

My Thoughts

The emphasis added above with the color red is mine. God helps us have joy, but I think we have to choose to have an attitude of joy first. I really like the idea of focusing on the celebration that is coming in heaven. That does make it easier to have joy in a world full of turmoil and difficulties.

We can trust that God is good and has a good plan for us, no matter what is currently happening in our lives. I know that I need to focus more on my future with God and less on the daily challenges. It’s when I take my eyes off of God and His love for me that I get overwhelmed. His desire for me is joy, not a feeling of despair. So, during this week when I am visiting my sister, I plan to choose joy and focus on the big celebration that awaits all of us who know Jesus as Savior.

Prayer request: Our grandson Isaac has another scan on Monday to check for cancer again. This time, they are doing a CT with contrast dye. My husband is trying to work out a way to be with Isaac at this time, so please pray that it all works out. That is the day he is taking me to meet my niece who then takes me to NC to see my sister. But God is working things out and I hope and pray it all comes together and Harry can be with Isaac and encourage him. Thank you for your prayers.

Celebrate Jesus Celebrate-Don Moen

With the magical and flowery prose that is the signature of Center, this book explores relationships, love, loss, honesty, grief and self-discovery. Samantha Casey fled California from a love interest that didn’t reciprocate and ended up in Galveston, Texas. She is the librarian at a small private school there and is loving it. Max Kempner, the co-founder and principal of the Kempner School, encouraged curiosity, investigation and artistic freedom there, and Sam is in her element. When Max suddenly dies, everyone is grieving but determined to find a good principal to carry on his legacy. When Duncan Carpenter arrives, Sam remembers him from California and expects him to be fun and charismatic, much like Max. But Duncan seems to be the antithesis of Max, demanding changes in the entire atmosphere and physical appearance of the school, all in the name of safety and security. Although Sam knew Duncan in California, she was not at all ready for this new form of him who has lost his hope and love of life. The scene is thus set for conflict, lots of emotions and plenty of cheering for one side or the other. Should Duncan be fired or should he be allowed to continue his reign at Kempner? As a former teacher and a rules person, I was kind of on Duncan’s side, but I did think he went too far in some of his demands and was expecting an explosive reaction from the faculty who were all more used to laid-back Max. Duncan seemed determined to get rid of freedom of expression at the school, and Sam was equally determined to save it. I really liked both characters, because Center is a master at strong characterization, creating a siren’s call for me to an emotional connection with her characters. I think that this book had a slower start for me that her other books, but about a third of the way into the book, I was captured and the magnetic pull of the charm and intrigue in the book just wouldn’t let go until I had finished it. Fans of Center will really love this book and I encourage fans of romance with multiple themes interwoven to try it. I love to feel happy after I read a book, and that is always how I feel after a Center book. This one also made me think about what I really want in life and what I am willing to do to grab it.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”