Maybe Money Can Buy Happiness, but Not Joy

I’ve learned this: yes, money can buy some level of happiness… but it’s temporary. In fact, happiness, by definition, is the state of being happy. That means it’s fleeting. The very next moment, you can enter another “state.”

But, joy is lasting. Our goal shouldn’t be happiness, it should be joy. Happiness and joy are not the same thing. Happiness is a mood; joy is a mode. It comes from a spiritual place. Circumstances can bring you happiness, but it's only temporary.

Joy comes from knowing who God made you to be and recognizing all that He has blessed you with.

Have you ever been around a really joyful person? It’s contagious. Joy is the antidote to depression and discouragement.

I love Kay Warren’s definition of joy: “Joy is the settled assurance that God is in control of all the details of my life, the quiet confidence that ultimately everything is going to be alright, and the determined choice to praise God in every situation.”

So, where does our joy come from? It comes the hope found in a relationship with Christ. “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope” (Romans 15:13).

In Nehemiah, we learn about the “joy of the Lord.” “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).

When the people understood their own sinfulness, they grieved. They were overwhelmed with shame. But, Nehemiah was reminding them that the ultimate point of recognizing our own guilt is to see God’s grace. That’s how “the joy of the Lord” becomes our strength. We can rest in the grace, forgiveness, mercy and love of God.

“Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning” (Psalm 30:5b). Emotions are temporary. But, if we have a relationship with God, through Jesus Christ, we can always count on having His joy.

And, when we are filled with hope and joy, it’s easy for it to spill over into every aspect of our lives--relationships, our careers, how we parent and more. When we are joy-filled, it’s easier for others around us to be also.

Money, and a variety of other things, can bring us fleeting happiness, but it can’t do for us what only God can do. Our moods change from day to day and moment to moment. But, if we know and trust the Lord, we can have a new mode: the joy of the Lord.

Brent Rinehart is a public relations practitioner and freelance writer. He blogs about the amazing things parenting teaches us about life, work, faith and more at www.apparentstuff.com. You can also follow him on Twitter at @brentrinehart