Hurtgen: Joy and happiness — distinct emotions or two sides of the same coin?

I am in an ongoing debate about joy. The heart of the question is this: is joy different from happiness?

Some say happiness is circumstantial, while joy is concrete. Happiness is a feeling, while joy is a demeanor. Happiness changes depending on the circumstances. Joy is not bound by conditions. You can see this debate is going well.

There are two major reasons I have trouble categorizing joy and happiness. First, my experience has been that those who tell me that joy and happiness are distinct from each other are some of the grumpiest people I’ve known. They are people who sing the children’s song “I’ve got joy, joy, joy, joy, down in my heart", but those who know them wonder if that joy is so far down in their hearts that it has gotten lost.

Second, and this is more important than my experiences, I don’t think the Bible makes such a grand distinction between joy and happiness. Certainly, there is a distinction in terminology, but it seems the two categories are not siloed but intertwined.

One example comes from Deuteronomy 28:47. In this context, the Lord expresses blessings and curses upon his people for acts of omission and commission. What Deuteronomy 28:47 says is that the people will live in a state of misfortune because they “did not serve the Lord with joyfulness and gladness of heart.” Joy and gladness reflect a sense of wholeheartedness and interconnected emotions.

Joyfulness expresses a sense of cheerfulness, pleasure, and a lighthearted demeanor. Gladness of heart, on the other hand, conveys not only relishing in good things of beauty but also practicing discernment, distinguishing between what is good and what is unsightly.

What produces a gladness of heart fuels joyfulness and vice-versa. Watching the steam rise from a morning cup of coffee, feeling the warmth of the sunrise on your face, or being held captive by a painting are some things that fuel gladness of heart and, in turn, ignite joyfulness. The feelings of joyfulness reciprocate a desire for that which is good.

Good then fuels joy, and joy is fostered by the pursuit of that which is good. Sowing wholehearted devotion and discernment will reap joyfulness and a gladness of heart. I’m not convinced that joy and happiness are separate hats as much as they are likened to a knitted sweater. Each fiber is woven together to make the whole. Perhaps they can exist on their own, but they will not warm your soul unless weaved together.

Robert Hurtgen is a husband, father, minister and writer. Read more of him at robhurtgen.wordpress.com.