So many people believe that happiness and joy are indistinguishable. Some have never experienced both in a way that establishes the distinction. As it is with any emotion, happiness is conditional, situational, changeable. Joy is not an emotion. It is does not change when circumstances worsen, it does not fade when sorrow or tragedy enter. It does not grow with wealth or health or people. It is a mind-set that sets apart emotion from circumstance.

The smile you see on faces of those that have weathered so many storms, that is joy. We have learned and accepted our place in the world. We have felt pain, brokenness, tragedy and destruction. We are not without emotion. We are human. Joy is a choice that is made daily. It is independent, constant, unconditional. There is contentment and hope in knowing that it cannot be taken or destroyed.

Depending on the translation, the word joy (rejoice, rejoicing) is mentioned over 300 times in the Bible. The word happiness (happy, happier) is mentioned around 30. I know and believe that is so very intentional. It is a gift that is grown internally. It grows with the connection we have with God and those we are allowed to love. Hope and peace are attached. Another gift granted by the purest form of love and joy. It transcends all understanding, but is attainable by anyone.

The way to obtain it, is to embrace peace. Let go of what is out of your control. Choose to redirect. Decide to live in a place of contentment. Practice daily, remove negative thoughts and emotions from your mind and spirit. Joy will always come when your mind and heart are set on things above. Happiness is a worldly desire. Fleeting. Inconsistent. Temporary. Selfish. It is a worthless goal.

God is the only way to know joy in a broken world. It is a priceless gift bestowed upon His people. C.S. Lewis offered this advice, “No soul that seriously and constantly desires joy will ever miss it. Those who seek find. To those who knock it is opened.”. It is a choice, like any other. It is left for us to discern, seek and find. When you find it, you will never want to be without it. It will change the way you think, feel, love, and exist. It elevates us. It draws us closer to Him and allows us to feel heavenly things in the earthly realm.