Contrary
to popular opinion, Jesus never promised us happiness. In fact, he
promised us just the opposite: “In this world, you will have
trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).
Happiness
is situational. When things are going great, we're happy. When
they're not, we aren't. Happiness is neither stable nor dependable.
Nor is it within our control, because it relies on outside
circumstances. That's why trying to be happy just leads to,
ironically, a lot of anxiety instead!
Jesus
promised us something so much better – Joy. Joy is not situational.
It is a inner peace from God that outside circumstances can't touch.
As
Christians, joy is totally within our control. We can choose to
believe God about our situation and have his joy in the midst of
trouble, or not. It's totally our choice. But choosing joy means
trusting him – operating in surrender not in control. Simple to
say, sometimes hard to do.
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