“For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 14:17 NLT)
I got a bouquet of flowers one year for my birthday. I felt special...flattered by the attention. Plus, it was fun to have this vibrant display of color on my table. However, these feelings and the flowers only lasted a few days. That same year, my husband and I planted a blue spruce in our front yard. During the winter when everything else is dormant or dead, the spruce remains verdant. In the summer, it provides a nesting area for birds and a hiding place for the neighborhood rabbits. This evergreen has been a source of gladness all year round.
We often use the words joy, happiness, and fun interchangeably. However, these words are very different. We have fun when we feel amused and entertained--eating, drinking, socializing, traveling, shopping, playing, thrill-seeking, indulging ourselves--all can be pleasurable activities. We are pleased when others approve and applaud us. Yet these feelings are fleeting, and the satisfaction is temporary. A fixation on fun merely leads us on a wild-goose chase that never ends.
True joy, on the other hand, is fulfilling and everlasting. It is a state of blessed well-being and deep, soul-level contentment. C. S. Lewis called joy an “unsatisfied desire which is itself more desirable than any other satisfaction.” Warren Wiersbe defines joy as "that inward peace and sufficiency that is not affected by outward circumstances.” One of my favorite synonyms for joy is ‘beatitude’--supreme blessedness. This supernatural ecstasy is a byproduct of Grace. It is more desirable than any other satisfaction. It brings inward peace and sufficiency that is independent of our worldly circumstances. We have a limited amount of time and energy to invest in this life. Let us not waste our efforts on chasing after temporary fun. Instead, let us pursue what is worthy and sustainable--joy in the Holy Spirit.
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