True Joy

From: Michael Youssef Ministries

John 15:11 "I have told you this so that My joy might be in you and your joy might be complete." 

Polls and surveys consistently show that the top three things people want the most in life are love, happiness, and peace. So often we confuse happiness with joy. There is a difference. Happiness is the result of getting what we want. However, getting what we want only offers a temporary form of happiness that fades over time. This kind of happiness is dependent on our circumstances, and can be accompanied with a fear that we may lose whatever it is we feel has made us happy.

Joy, however, is a fruit of the Spirit. It comes from within and not from external conditions. Jesus said that we are to abide in Him so that our joy can be complete (John 15:9-11). We can experience the joy of the Lord regardless of our circumstances because joy is dependent on our relationship with Jesus Christ.

The world tries to persuade us that joy is found in material possessions, worldly achievements, and social status. However, true joy comes from the knowledge that we have an eternal home prepared and waiting for us with Jesus Christ.