When I searched google images for happiness, this was the most common image. Doesn't it make you smile? How can you not smile??
When I searched google images for joy, this was the most common image I found...Does it bring you back to a moment when your heart leapt for joy? Can you feel the emotion all they way down in your gut?
Happiness is earthly, but Joy is heavenly.
Happiness is fleeting and can change in a moment.
Joy is eternal and stays with us through the difficult times.
Happiness is internal.
Joy is radiant and can spread to others.
Happiness depends on the circumstances and events of our day.
Joy depends on our relationship with Jesus.
Happiness is human.
Joy is God.
I go back to the original question, what do we want for our children? Do we want them to be happy or joyful? Certainly, they are related to each other. Those that are joyful often live a more happy life; however, joy and happiness are not equivalent. Even those in the most difficult circumstances can be very sad, but they can still radiate joy, even through their misery.
How do we become filled with Joy? We do this by living out God's will in our life, by having a close relationship with our Lord, Jesus Christ, by living out our vocation as dictated by God's plan for us, and by keeping our eye on the eternal prize. Often we allow earthly matters to obscure our view of eternity, and it is then that humanly desires tell us that we want the immediate gratification of happiness instead of keeping ourselves focused and working hard toward that eternal Joy.
Allow me to digress with an analogy for a few moments...
It is a Saturday, and your home is wreck from the busy week. While we would rather lounge on the sofa or recliner, we get up and put our home in order and clean it up. After it is completed, we look around and admire the work feel accomplished. There is a "joyful" feeling inside because we did what needed to be done to keep our life in order and on track. If we would have continued in our slovenly way, we might have felt comfort for a brief time, but the misery of the wreck that lingered in our house would return.
This is no different than what God wants for us. If we do what we can to keep our spiritual life in order and on track, our hearts will be filled with joy. This means following through on our stewardship obligations of time, talent, and treasure. By spending time in daily prayer, attending church, and stopping at the perpetual adoration chapel we keep our spiritual lives in order. Sharing our talents with others help us spread our joy to others. Giving back to those that grace us with so many blessings allows us to grow in graciousness and gratitude, which, in the end, brings us great joy.
As parents, we may interrupt our children's happiness for a time as we challenge them to excellence. This might mean that we tell them "no" to something that is not in their best interest, we do not give in to excessive indulgences because we know there is something better for them, or we remove a privilege for contemtuous words or expressions. We do this firmly with love so that children develop the discipline to choose the right thing, and they develop the skill set to deal with disappointment when real life problems become reality. By developing our spiritual and earthly discipline we set up a situation in which children can achieve the joy of living out God's will.
I encourage you to pray for your children, that they hear God's call for their vocation. When we openly live in God's good grace, we live a life of joy that is unsurpassed by any fleeting happiness that can be achieved on earth. Isn't that what we truly want for our children...not so much a happy life, but a joyful life?
My hope is that you and your children feel this throughout your life....regardless of the challenges that await you in the future. As long as you have God, you will have Joy.
