Faith Filled Family Magazine November 2016 | Page 76

WHAT IS JOY

UNSPEAKABLE?
BY JULIE B. COSGROVE

D

espite what Webster’s
dictionary may say,
from the Christian
perspective, joy is not
synonymous with being happy.
Happiness is an emotion, and
emptions are temporary. You
may be happy when you receive
good news, when a friend gives
you a gift, or when that recognition for all your hard work finally
happens—hopefully with an increase in pay. But happiness is
fleeting, like a purple and orange
sunset splashed across the horizon. Enjoy it while it lasts, but
don’t count that as joy.
Joy is more than a state of
mind. It is the state of the soul.

No matter what the external circumstances, and despite of the
emotions which bubble up as a
result of these events—good or
bad—joy can be a constant in
the Christian’s life.
I am greatly encouraged; in all
our troubles my joy knows no
bounds. 2 Corinthians 7:14
Paul definitely knew about trou-