Practice (Reading, translation, speaking)
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN JOY AND HAPPINESS
What is joy? What is happiness? And what is the difference between joy and happiness?
The difference between joy and happiness lives in the mind and heart.
- Joy is a little word. Happiness is a bigger word.
- Joy is in the heart. Happiness is on the face.
- Joy is of the soul. Happiness is of the moment.
- Joy transcends. Happiness reacts.
- Joy embraces peace and contentment, waiting to be discovered.
- Joy runs deep and overflows, while happiness hugs hello.
- Joy is a practice and a behavior. It’s deliberate and intentional. Happiness comes and goes blithely along its way.
- Joy is profound and Scriptural. "Don't worry, rejoice." Happiness is a balm. "Don't worry, be happy."
- Joy is an inner feeling. Happiness is an outward expression.
- Joy endures hardship and trials and connects with meaning and purpose.
- A person pursues happiness but chooses joy.
HAPPINESS VS. JOY
For every person who says joy is an underlying truth that good or bad circumstances can’t dictate, and that happiness is rooted in circumstance, there will be others who think the opposite, that joy is just a state of mind, the outcome of a mind seeking happiness and focused on pleasure, pleasing thoughts and pleasant experiences.
Despite the different perspectives, the idea that holds greater sway today is that experiencing happiness depends on external factors. Happiness happens to us. Even though we may seek it, desire it, pursue it, etc., feeling happiness is not a choice we make. Joy, on the other hand, is a choice purposefully made.
Happiness doesn’t bring joy, and joy isn’t the byproduct of happiness. Joy is something grander than happiness. Joy is a fruit of the Spirit, and when we find joy it’s infused with comfort and wrapped in peace. It’s an attitude of the heart and spirit, often synonymous with but not limited.