Happiness Or Joy? Which One Is Godly And Which One Is Worldly?

Undoubtedly I rate this topic as part of one of my controversial topics I will touch on. Many will tread cautiously when going into these areas because they harmlessly almost looks the same but upon a meticulous dissection we can differentiate between the two.You know per my nature, I like to delve into slippery areas and touch on topics people won't usually touch on but I depend on the Spirit of God to lead and direct me and give me great insight into what I am about to write on. You know as part of Quayson Quotes today was the inscription, Someone once said, " happiness is like your nose, it's there but you can't see it. If you want to see your nose, you look into a mirror and you see yourself and your nose. Your happiness depends on you and not on others". To me this was a fine quote but I knew something was missing inside which was JOY. So I recalled myself to delve into joy and happiness, which one is godly and which one is worldly?

I remember this topic like yesterday (not in the exact heading but meaning) taught us by our accounting tutor back then in school called Sir Somoja. His real name was Mr. Solomon Mensah but we gave him that as a nickname. He never rejected it so I guess he was okay with us calling him by that name. Well, he taught us this fantastic topic during one worship time on a Wednesday. You know those days, Wednesday mornings were usually reserved for all schools to worship God, whiles Muslim students too did their own prayers alongside (don't know if that has changed now?).

It seems this very topic will be one topic among all my Senior high school times that will not leave my spirit. I am very particular about subject matters that don't leave my spirit, it always means God is in the message. I have observed and realised that pattern in my life. In Junior High too my English teacher, preached a topic which I have forgotten but the scripture she used never left my spirit, which was Psalm 119:11, thy word have I hid in my heart that I may not sin against thee. For over 20 years plus these two topic taught me by my English and Accounting teacher has registered in my spirit and there is no week I do not think about these two.

What is happiness? Anything you do, a person you are with, a place you go to, things you hear or things you imagine or think about that brings you excitement. (My own definition though, I remember the topic not his definition). Happiness to me is common to both the believer and unbeliever but joy is a preserve for only believers because bit is fueled by the spirit of God. One can be happy but not necessarily joyous. Joy entirety depends on the holy spirit of God.

What is Joy? Joy is a fruit of the Holy spirit that equally produces an excitement in your spirit but does not really depend on anything. You can say Joy is the Spirit of God just tickling you to be just happy without any cause. It normally comes to you when you are in the presence of God. In his presence means, at church praying or worshipping God or in any place you find yourself. Joy is activated by God's own spirit and it is a wonderful divine experience. All can have happiness but not all can have joy. When a baby cries and you cuddle him to laugh, what has the baby found, joy or happiness? It is happiness because after sometime it will begin crying again but with joy it never leaves you. You can say that happiness is temporal but joy is permanent, planted by the spirit of God but mind you Satan can steal your joy because he is a thief.

If I quite remember he said happiness is worldly but joy is divine. It means you can adopt all worldly means to happy yourself but joy only comes from the holy spirit which I think it's true. As I was growing up, God was just shaping my thoughts about this message. You can have a boyfriend or girlfriend you have sex with or go to the club or football park, do things that can release you from being bored and make you so happy in life but let me tell you after all this you will return to your bed and find yourself still empty inside and not be fulfilled. Infact you may be in the same bed with your wife, husband, concubine and you still have a void inside of you.

If sex, football, movies, series, comedy, family, friends, concubines can make you so happy and fulfilled then I guess we need to work towards these things and rather remain here on Earth and not seek for heaven. Don't you think so? What are we going to look for in heaven if your happiness in this world is enough. Happiness is what will make you want to remain on this earth in forever but joy is what will make you seek your God and look for an eternal resting place for your soul. Joy sets you on a journey, a pedestal to search for yourself in Christ Jesus, you become poised of fulfilling your God given destiny because there is something beaming in your soul. You are attracted to divine fulfilment, the earth is good but does not mean much for you. Happiness keeps you here but joy takes you to heaven.

One of the promises of heaven is a place of no tears only joy and hell is described as a place of torment. I struggled within myself when I remember clearly my tutor said "happiness will take you to hell but joy will take you to heaven", someone shout, hallelujah! I think this is the point that made me to struggle and struggle and struggle with the message. I was like, so God does not want me to be happy or what? Then it occured to me to look for happiness in the Bible, I searched everywhere but could not find any scripture in the Bible that talked about happiness, rather all I was getting was joy. Weeping may endure for the night but joy cometh in the morning, the joy of the holy ghost, and the disciples were filled with joy, they made a joyous noise to welcome the Messiah to Jerusalem, this your joy is fulfilled, joy, joy, joy was all I was coming accross. Then it dawned on me could happiness be a sin? But it was not stated in the Bible as a sin but why will my teacher tell me that happiness will rather send me to hell? I struggled and struggled and struggled in my spirit just as I struggled to know how I could put the word of God in my heart as my English teacher taught me in Psalm 119:11. I now remember I even loved God so much as a child because even as a teenager I wanted to put the word in my heart that I should not sin against God as it is written in the scriptures.

Anyway as of today and further enlightenment by the spirit of God I realise that there is an iota of truth in what Mr. Somoja taught us. I have grown to realise that you are the architect of your own happiness by your choices in the world which may be good or evil but only God can give you joy. He is the only one that can fill that void in your spirit and in your soul. He is the one that can make you wine and dine with thousands of good spirits in heaven that although you are alone you don't feel lonely, your spirit is filled because you will be living Paradise on Earth. Your spirit is caterpulted to the heavenly realms when you feel joy and it is powered by the Holy Spirit of God. This joy is what Christians don't have and so look for it in the world by searching for happiness.

Joy can only come by the Holy Spirit and it is activated by being in the presence of God all the time in prayers and worship. With joy all your problems looks solvable and little before you. Suddenly you have confidence in God and you believe you can make it. Happiness does not give you that feeling. Happiness is temporal but joy is eternal. You can laugh out loud at a comedy show and be happy but after the show is over you return to your life of boredom. Joy is not like that, joy consumes you, it takes you up and gives you a heavenly treat. Have you heard of tears of joy. Joy can make you cry, it fills you from your being that although everybody is expecting you to be sad, down and out they see you beaming with hope, resilience and bright ideas for the future.

I suprise alot of people, I know that for sure because when they guage the level of evil and wicked things they did to me but they see me moving on in life they get to wonder. They don't know my secret is the Holy Ghost. I have him inside of me and he makes me so joyous and I don't see problems, I see divine possibilities, bright future, beaming hope, fresh ideas, new courage, new life, powerful testimonies, great articles and write ups, prayerful, having faith and faithful, winning the love and trust of people, moving on in life with great determination and the speed of light etc. This experience you can't buy with money. So when in themselves they guage the extent of evil done in their heads I laugh within my spirit because they don't know the joy inside of me. The holy spirit talks to me like my wife everyday and he makes me joyous. Who can conquer us when we are with God? Silver and gold is not what we seek for we shall be walking on them in heaven. What we want here is joy.

Joy is the fuel you need in your spirit as a Christian to propel you to victory. Joy is my light, my salvation, my hope and faith, with joy in the holy ghost, I say bye bye to sadness and I embrace God whole heartedly. Go before the presence of God and ask for the Holy Spirit and he will give you and you will experience joy. You don't need happiness, what you need is joy. Money can buy you happiness but money cannot buy you joy. Why many rich men don't understand poor people is because God gives them joy. They wonder why such a poor man should have such a happy family and life but their world is full of troubles and difficulties. The difference is most poor people believe in God and he gives them joy in return but most rich people their wealth can afford them everything so they live a life of misery. Today if you will open your heart and receive the holy spirit of God, the joy of the Lord will come upon you and you will be a different person from today. I pray for you from my hearts of hearts that may the joy of the holy ghost touch you as you read and meditate upon this message till eternity.

God bless you as you read, I humbly remain Emmanuel Quayson, a servant of the Most High God.