You have asked some great questions here, and I think that in order to properly answer them, we must first come to realize that there is a major difference between being
unhappy and being
unjoyful.
I don't want to sound like a word-nerd, even though I probably am one, but the word
happy is derived from the word
hap which means
chance, luck, fortune, or fate. Similarly, the word
happen is derived from the word
hap. In other words,
happiness or
unhappiness is directly related to that which is
happening or occurring at any given moment in time.
To the contrary,
joy, as it is defined in scripture, is not only a fruit of the Spirit, but it is also quite often directly linked to a future event, as opposed to that which is currently
happening, and that future event is the return of Jesus Christ when a saint of God will fully receive their redemption or salvation.
For example, Peter said:
1Pe 1:3
Blessed
be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
1Pe 1:4
To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,
1Pe 1:5
Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
1Pe 1:6
Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:
1Pe 1:7
That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:
1Pe 1:8
Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see
him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:
1Pe 1:9
Receiving the end of your faith,
even the salvation of
your souls.
Here, we see that a Christian can
greatly rejoice or
rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory while being
in heaviness through manifold temptations or many-sided trials. This
joy is directly related to
a lively hope, or to the time when we
receive the end of our faith, even the salvation of our souls, or to the time when we receive
an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fades not away, reserved in heaven for us. In other words, even if what we are currently experiencing in life due to its many
fiery trials leaves us with a feeling of
unhappiness, we can still have
great joy as we look forward to our eternal rewards.
Here are some more examples of this same principle in scripture.
Heb 12:1
Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset
us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
Heb 12:2
Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of
our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Jesus, who is
the author and finisher of our faith and our example,
endured the cross by keeping his focus upon
the joy that was set before him, or by keeping his focus upon that which awaited him on the other side of his trials. We get a good glimpse of that in the following Messianic psalm.
Psa 16:8
I have set the LORD always before me: because
he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.
Psa 16:9
Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope.
Psa 16:10
For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
Psa 16:11
Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence
is fulness of joy; at thy right hand
there are pleasures for evermore.
By
setting the LORD always before him, Jesus was able to endure both the cross and the grave because he knew that he had a promise of being resurrected from the dead, as do we if we truly belong to him, and he knew that he would eventually arrive in
the Father's presence or
at the Father's right hand where there is
fullness of joy and
pleasures forevermore. As his followers, if we want to maintain our own
joy, then we need to always maintain the same mindset that Jesus had while trusting on the promise of eternal life in the world to come no matter what is currently
happening in our lives.
Here is another biblical example of what I am saying.
Jhn 16:19
Now Jesus knew that they were desirous to ask him, and said unto them, Do ye enquire among yourselves of that I said, A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me?
Jhn 16:20
Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy.
Jhn 16:21
A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world.
Jhn 16:22
And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.
In the same manner in which the
sorrow and
anguish of a pregnant woman in travail is replaced by
joy when her child is born, we, as Christians, must endure much
sorrow and
anguish of our own as we await the time of great
joy when Christ returns
and our hearts shall rejoice, and our joy no man takes from us.
With these things in mind, and I could give a lot more biblical examples of the same principle, it is normal for a Christian to be
unhappy at times, or to not be overly excited about the
hap or
chance which they are currently experiencing, or to not be overly excited with that which is presently
happening in their life.
At the same time, if we are truly walking with Christ, and if we maintain our focus upon that which awaits us on the other side, then we can endure life's many trials and tribulations with
joy unspeakable and full of glory.
Am I always
happy?
No, I am not.
Am I always
joyful?
If I maintain my walk with Christ, and if I keep my focus on the prize at the end of this race called
life, then, yes, I am.
7
5
