Young girl sits in a field and looks to the right while smiling widely.

What Is the Difference Between Happiness and Joy?

Happiness is a temporary emotion that will come and go depending on your circumstances. Joy isn’t a simple emotion — it’s eternal and remains no matter what you go through.

Here, we discuss the many differences between happiness and joy and how you can experience joy in your life today.

The Differences Between Joy and Happiness

There are many differences between joy and happiness. For example:

  • Joy transcends. Happiness reacts.
  • Joy is a practice and a behavior. It’s deliberate and intentional. Happiness comes and goes along its way.
  • Joy is a fruit of the Spirit, while happiness is not.

Joy and Happiness: One Is a Choice

Happiness depends on external factors. When we hear a favorite joke, we laugh. When someone gives us a gift, we grin. When we hear our favorite song, we dance and smile. Happiness happens to us.

Even though we may seek it, desire it and pursue it, feeling happy is not a choice we make. Joy, on the other hand, is a choice we purposefully make. Even if our day-to-day is filled with hurt and disappointment, we can still choose joy.

Joy can share space with other emotions, such as sadness and fear. But happiness can’t. Happiness isn’t present in darkness and difficulty. But joy can be. If we choose joy, it can transform our difficult times into blessings and our heartache into gratitude.

Happiness and Joy in the Bible

Did you know that “happiness” only appears in the Bible around 10-30 times (depending on translation)? Joy, on the other hand, appears hundreds of times. Why? God wants us to have life-giving joy that lasts instead of temporary happiness that fades.

Here are some examples of Bible verses that show us the power of joy:

  • May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. — Romans 15:13, NIV
  • But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. — Galatians 5:22-23, NIV
  • Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” — Nehemiah 8:10, NIV
  • I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. — John 15:11, NIV
A girl in a yellow dress sits in a swing
Two girls smiling

Understanding Joy: A Real-World Example

Understanding what joy looks like in our daily lives can help us better understand the difference between joy and happiness. One practical, real-world example relates to children living in extreme poverty.

Meet Wendy

A young girl and her mother hug while sitting in font of a window.

Photo by: Emily Turner

Caption

When Wendy was 9 years old, she was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. The diagnosis was terrifying, especially since Wendy lived in poverty. Her mother, Aidee, was unable to afford the insulin and healthy diet Wendy so desperately needed.

What would happen to Wendy without those necessities? As this question swirled in Wendy and Aidee’s minds, despair filled their hearts.

Aidee reached out to Wendy’s Compassion center who stepped in to reimburse her for Wendy’s medication and to cover the cost of the special diet she needed. The center also introduced Wendy to Jesus, her ultimate Provider.

Aidee and Wendy’s despair has given way to joy as they look to a brighter future despite their immediate circumstances.

Joy Overcomes

Poverty is often synonymous with despair. However, despair is like happiness — it’s temporary, even if it doesn’t feel that way. Despair is a product of circumstances. But joy can overcome anything and everything, including poverty.

When we choose joy, it doesn’t matter how dark things may be. When we choose joy, there is hope. Joy says that no matter what tomorrow brings, I have eternal hope in Jesus. Joy says that I’m not bound by what’s happening to me. Instead, I’m free.

You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy. — Psalm 30:11, NIV
Boys smiling while they have water

Experience Joy By Helping Others Do the Same

How can you experience joy in your life? One way is by helping others experience joy. For example, many children living in poverty don’t know that they can still choose hope. They’re often blinded by desperation and need, unable to see past their circumstances.

But you can help children living in poverty by sharing the gospel and fulfilling their right-now and long-term needs. With these needs met, they’ll start to see past the temporary darkness and into eternal light, changing their lives forever.

You can bring joy to a child in need by becoming a sponsor. As a sponsor, you’ll donate monthly to support a child, enabling a local church to share the gospel with them and provide nutrition support, medical care and so much more.

You’ll also help them grow into thriving adults by providing for education and income generation opportunities. Through sponsorship, you’ll empower a child to leave poverty behind.

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