When I was six years old, I received a Christmas gift that I’ve never had before nor since. That was the year mom had my little sister, Joy. This little being fascinated me but as we grew, I wondered why my parents named her Joy. On my way outside to play I heard, “You need to take your sister with you!” After I took her, I heard regularly from her, “I’m gonna tell!” I wondered in my growing-up years, did my parents misname her? My answer to this question is much different 40 years later than it would have been in those days.

The distinction is that joy is a choice of perspective and happiness is a reaction to circumstances

When I contemplate the subject of joy, I understand that it differs from happiness. Happiness is an emotion generated by circumstances outside of myself. I’m happy when it’s a nice day. Things went well at work, so I’m happy. The dog is running up and down the hall when I get home because he’s so happy to see me.

Joy results from being at peace within, regardless of circumstances. The day is dreary and cold, yet I am joyful because I am dry and safe. I had to deal with cranky people all day at work, yet I have the joy of knowing I have a job and can pay the bills. The dog vomited on the floor but he is a wonderful companion, so I continue in joy. The distinction is that joy is a choice of perspective and happiness is a reaction to circumstances.

God gives us help in perspective because our focus should be on the big picture of our life in this world and not just on the specifics of a situation.

James 1:2 (NLT) says, “Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy.” If this is all that God says to us about our troubles and the reactions we should have toward them, it would frustrate me. I would feel as a child hearing her parent say, “Do this because I said so. Period.” God’s thoughts do not stop with verse two. We must consider the whole context in which this verse appears. (Remember, Biblical scholars added the chapter and verse numbers to each passage long after the original words of the Bible were recorded.)

James 1:3 gives us the reason trials should make us joyful. “For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.”  When the trials of life wash over me, I can be joyful because I am gaining something of great value, endurance. Endurance adds stamina to the whole picture of my life and it not only benefits me but also those with whom I come in contact.

Do the verses in James mean that God is only concerned with the big picture of our lives?

II Kings 6:1-7 answers this question. Elisha is with some men who are building a place to live by the Jordan River. In the process of construction, a man’s ax head flew off the handle and landed in the river. This upsets him because the ax was not his; he borrowed it. Elisha, moved by the man’s emotion and need, miraculously makes the ax head float and the man retrieved it. Elisha’s actions reflect those that God has for us concerning the day-to-day concerns we have in life. Matthew 10:29-31 states that God knows all there is about us, even the number of hairs that are on our heads.

If joy is a choice of perspective, how can you adopt this viewpoint? I think the answer involves practice in three areas.

1. When situations that are difficult arrive, practice having a dialogue with yourself. This is when you admit your circumstances are not fun but you can find joy if you look for it. Remind yourself that God cares about the situation. Recognize that this difficulty helps bring into focus a part of the whole picture which makes up your life. Practicing this self-talk will assure it becomes a good habit.
 2. Helping others is another practice that results in joy. Acts 20:35 states in part, “It’s more blessed to give than to receive.” There are great blessings in giving to others. A child works to make his mother a drawing for her birthday, and he beams with joy as he presents it to her. 3. Practice being content with what you have rather than on what you think you need generates joy. Jesus warns us in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 6 that we should  not store up treasures on earth. Why?  They can be destroyed or stolen (versus 19-20).  Jesus continues by reassuring us that God will supply the things we need, including food and clothing (verses 25-34), so we can rejoice in this provision.

Maintaining joy in your life provides the strength to endure not only the everyday stressful things but also the big events of life. It’s all in how you look at it.