Fruit of the Spirit: What is Joy?

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such there is no law." (Galatians 5:22,23)

Dictionary Definition: The feeling of happiness, extreme cheerfulness

Happiness is usually tied to circumstance. The joy that the Spirit gives is not. James tells us to have joy when we face trials because the testing of our faith will produce perseverance. (James 1:2,3) But these times of testing are often not happy times.

Hebrews 10:34 describes believers who joyfully suffered the loss of their possessions because they had better possessions waiting them in eternity. Hebrews 12:2 tells us that Jesus faced the cross with joy because of what his sacrifice would accomplish.

So we are to have joy regardless of present circumstances. Now sometimes our circumstances will make it difficult for us to express our joy as happiness and extreme cheerfulness.

However, too often we say we have joy, deep down in our hearts where it will never reach our faces, when the truth is that we are lying. We have no joy and therefore no happiness. The joy of the Spirit does not mean that we will be always laughing and smiling, but it means that we will be more often than not. If we never laugh, never smile, never express happiness and even extreme cheerfulness then we have no joy.

Consider Acts 5:40, 41. We see that rejoicing means expressing joy, showing happiness.

The Greek word translated “blessed” in some versions is translated “happy” in others. Consider the beatitudes in that light. They are recorded in Matthew 5:3-12. Mediate on them but replaced "Blessed are" with "Happy are."

The joy of the spirit is happiness that looks beyond present circumstance to our final condition.