{YML Voices} Happiness or Joy: Which is Realistic in My Life?

by Krystle Talley

Well, I don’t know about you, but I used to believe happiness and joy held the same weight in meaning. Until today…As I was reading my daily morning devotional, I learned there is indeed a difference in implication between those two words; especially when it involves using them to describe your life.

I discovered that joy goes far deeper than happiness…

According to Merriam Webster, happiness is defined as having a pleasurable or satisfying experience. Joy, on the other hand, is defined as a state of well-being or contentment. So, the way I look at it, in order to be happy there must be some pleasurable or satisfying experience constantly taking place…but to feel joy in my life as a wife, mother, and professional, I just need to be content or satisfied with the position I’m in.

Whew, that seems deep at the angle I’m looking from.

Basically, we should be able to feel joy even when we may seem to be in a place that may not make us happy all the time. We should be able to feel joy when everything isn’t satisfying in our lives, but we’re satisfied in our hearts. Being happy is only temporary. It’s only based on what can please us or make us smile at a particular time or circumstance. For example, it may make you happy to have a nice looking boyfriend with a six figure salary at a temporary job, driving a Benz and splurging on everyone…Or, you could be just as content with a good-looking, God-fearing person who has worked a steady decent paying job for the past five years, owns a home, and is financially sound. Which would make you happy, and which one would give you a sense of stability and well-being?

My point is, the circumstance you’re currently in or could be in the future (i.e. marriage or mommy hood) may not always stay in a state of happiness or pleasure. Just because you had the dream of a “happily ever after” lifetime of bliss doesn’t mean that it’s going to happen every day.

If you think you are going to experience that, let me tell you, you’re sadly mistaken.

With joy, even when things are dark or falling apart, you can rely on the fact that you have someone or something to help you through it. You won’t be happy that you’re in the dark, but you’ll find joy in knowing that the lights are going to shine again. Joy will give you peace of mind when things around you are in chaos. You won’t be happy that it’s so hectic, but you’ll find joy in knowing that this too shall pass.

Happiness won’t mean anything to our lives if we’re not even content in it. So, let’s learn more how to be joyful people in our lives, instead of just being happy people at the moment.

Krystle S. Talley is wife to an active duty soldier, mother of one, and creator of The Christian Chameleon blog. She graduated from Tennessee State University with magna cum laude honors in Criminal Justice. She later decided to pursue another career avenue, so she is now studying Christian Counseling at Liberty University.