Comments on: Joy–conditional or unconditional happiness http://www.cloften.com/?p=88 He'd rather be funny than good! Fri, 29 Jan 2016 20:05:26 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Beverly Stringfellow http://www.cloften.com/?p=88&cpage=1#comment-26 Beverly Stringfellow Thu, 03 Dec 2009 21:22:44 +0000 http://www.cloften.com/?p=88#comment-26 Charlie, I enjoyed your post. My favorite verse about joy is appropriate to this time of year. Luke 2: 10 "Do not be afraid for I bring you good news of great joy which shall be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born a Savior, who is Christ the Lord." Jesus came here with joy knowing about the cross and the rejection and all the areas that would not induce happiness. God found joy in sending his son to die for me. Because of this joy God sent angels to tell the shepherds the good news of great joy. God sent his son knowing all the tribulation and trials that would come to him and he did it with joy. Subjectively when I feel happiness it is on a superficial level but joy is very deep and comes from a secure place in my heart. That is how I see it. Charlie, I enjoyed your post. My favorite verse about joy is appropriate to this time of year. Luke 2: 10 “Do not be afraid for I bring you good news of great joy which shall be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”

Jesus came here with joy knowing about the cross and the rejection and all the areas that would not induce happiness. God found joy in sending his son to die for me. Because of this joy God sent angels to tell the shepherds the good news of great joy. God sent his son knowing all the tribulation and trials that would come to him and he did it with joy.

Subjectively when I feel happiness it is on a superficial level but joy is very deep and comes from a secure place in my heart.

That is how I see it.

]]> By: Steve Manatt http://www.cloften.com/?p=88&cpage=1#comment-11 Steve Manatt Wed, 02 Dec 2009 21:48:24 +0000 http://www.cloften.com/?p=88#comment-11 Good word Charlie. I've heard the difference between joy and happiness as this: happiness is a response to our situation or an object (I'm happy I ate at Larry's today; I'm happy I drive a GMC truck; etc.), but joy is a response to a person and Joy is the specific response to the person of Jesus Christ. In all situations, there exists the potential to see Jesus at work. When that happens, Joy is the reaction regardless of whether the response to the actual events produces happiness. So, to me these two concepts are not the same or even derivatives of one another, but rather two distinct responses to different types of encounters in life. One is very much circumstantial and the other not because it is based on the unchanging person of Christ. Good word Charlie. I’ve heard the difference between joy and happiness as this: happiness is a response to our situation or an object (I’m happy I ate at Larry’s today; I’m happy I drive a GMC truck; etc.), but joy is a response to a person and Joy is the specific response to the person of Jesus Christ.

In all situations, there exists the potential to see Jesus at work. When that happens, Joy is the reaction regardless of whether the response to the actual events produces happiness.

So, to me these two concepts are not the same or even derivatives of one another, but rather two distinct responses to different types of encounters in life. One is very much circumstantial and the other not because it is based on the unchanging person of Christ.

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