Definition of Happiness: ‘Delight’, ‘Cheerfulness’, ‘Elation’, ‘Bliss’ ‘High spirits’

Definition of Joy: ‘To be fulfilled’, ‘To be glad’, ‘A sense of triumph’   

   Based on popular translations, the Bible uses the words happy and happiness a total of 30 times. The words joy, also known as rejoice; make over 300 appearances in scripture.

The Biblical perspective here is that happiness is fleeting because it relies heavily on our external experiences such as our changing circumstances, the people we interact with, and our reactions to them etc. Joy on the other hand, is a state of contentment that comes from within; It is based upon internal factors such as the sense of achievement, making, or creation (giving birth, building, constructing, composing, cooking etc.).

Being at ease with ones-self, having self-belief, absolute trust in close relatives, and faith in the Gospel and the word of God. In other words, joy can be everlasting.

Jesus Christ, spoke often about, and signified joy in his ministry. He was once blamed of being too joyful by his enemies (Luke 7:34). Many of Jesus’s stories reflected the meaning of joy and its significance in finding inner peace and connecting with God.

Happiness is a feeling, an emotion, a reaction. Joy can be purposeful and encouraging, therefore more profound. This state of grace is called, ‘the joyful spirit’.

The early Christian church was characterized by gladness and the joy of the Lord and the book of Philippians is a remarkable study of joy. Written by the Apostle Paul whilst imprisoned in Rome, the Apostles joyfulness of heart, serenity, and gladness in his work, despite his circumstances, kept him fulfilled and unbroken. Paul described how his faith and absolute trust in the Gospel of Jesus Christ changed his perspective on life and suffering.

* The Roman guard heard the gospel from Paul during his 2-year captivity, and it even spread throughout all of Rome. (Acts 28:30)