The Difference Between Happiness and Joy
In June we celebrated with two Habitat home dedications with the last one being our 186th home!
When I was preparing to speak at the dedication I reflected on the amazing story of the Jeon-Kim family. I was reminded of a lesson about the difference between “happiness” and “joy”.
Galations 5:22 tells us:
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.”
This tells us that when we become a Christ follower, we are given joy…it is within us as a gift. So joy is internal and eternal.
Happiness, on the other hand, is external and temporary…gained by circumstances that surround us at any given time.
If we chase happiness, we find temporary satisfaction, but if we choose to focus on the inner joy given to us by the Spirit, we are strengthened and able to endure any situation.
The Jeon-Kim family is a living example of joy for all of us to see and learn from. Please see their story attached. We are truly blessed have them as part of our Habitat family.
