What is joy? I wanted to make a case that joy and happy are not the same. Except that in the original language of scripture – Greek – the two words are quite similar. Perhaps I want to make them different because I always believed that happy depends on circumstances and joy is a deep, quiet well of blessedness that isn’t dependent on circumstances. Is that true?

Searching scripture, I learn . . .

. . . joy is a fruit of the Spirit.

²²But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

Galatians 5:22-23

. . . joy is a byproduct of being in the presence of the Lord.

¹¹You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever.

Psalm 16:11

. . . joy erupts in heaven when a sinner repents and turns back to God.

 ⁷In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away!

Luke 15:7

I ask myself if I am looking to the right things to find joy. Do I spend time in the presence of God, expecting my joy meter to rise? Or do I look to the people around me to do that for me? Do I look to the Holy Spirit to grow the fruit of joy in me? Or am I trying to conjure it up by some other means? Does one person turning to Jesus cause me to celebrate with joy? Or am I more likely to hang out with the 99 righteous who don’t need to repent?

Joy is dependent on my circumstances and my attitude. When I spend time in the presence of Jesus, looking to the Holy Spirit to produce fruit in my life, showing concern for those who don’t yet know Jesus, I experience joy. When I ignore those things, I don’t.