Gerald G. May, in Will and Spirit, refers to the popularization of what he calls the happiness mentality. He writes, "The basic assumption of the happiness mentality ~ in spite of considerable hard evidence to the contrary ~ is that if one lives one's life correctly one will be happy." Then he states, "The corollary of this assumption is that if one is not happy, one is doing something wrong." May concludes that this belief is so rampant that many persons who sense any sign of unhappiness see it as a symptom of emotional or spiritual disorder. This leads to trying to suppress any unhappiness as quickly as possible.

So let me be up-front today on this matter. I begin by sharing two opening statements that might surprise you and that conflict with much assumption inside and outside Christianity...

1. You will never become joyful by trying to be happy.

2. Being a spiritual person will not guarantee you will be a bubbly, gleeful person; in fact, it might entail your becoming a less happy person.

I will first take my initial statement. By trying to be happy you are not trying to be joyful. Your attempt to be happy does not arise from the same place that joy arises. Happiness arises from circumstances inward or outward.

A person can become happy beating another person to death or getting drunk and acting like a fool. Is that joy? No. But the brain chemistry signaling "happiness" is the same as a person yelling wildly because his football team just won the championship or her husband bought her that diamond ring she admired so much the other day in the jewelry store. Is that joy?

The many persons who have lived close to God and were not very happy according to the happy mentality is sufficient proof you can be a deeply Christian, profoundly spiritual man or woman without being gleeful. Just read the lives of great saints ~ most suffered immensely and endured life as much as were pleased with it.

Basically, the modern fascination with happiness is based on Sigmund Freud's concept of the pleasure principle. Therefore when you are pleased, you are happy. When you are displeased, you are unhappy. Displeasure and happiness or contrary states. To be happy, you must flee displeasure. Ironically, this leads to a miserable, captivated, and self-absorbed life.

Now I will contrast a situation. This last week, after our ~ The Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church ~ licensing and ordination Service, in Lakeland, FL, our Bishop and two other persons stood to receive the hand of persons sensing a call to Christian ministry. After several had come forward, with each receiving hand claps from all over the huge arena, I started shedding tears. I was overwhelmed with the bliss of this moment of persons, mostly men and women in the early twenties, saying "Yes" to Christ. I was, likely, influenced by the whole atmosphere of loving celebration in response to each one coming forward, also. I cannot put into words the joy! There was a depth and truth to that feeling that can never be put into the word happy. I was everything but happy; I was everything joy. Ironically, I had been licensed that evening on the stage before that same assembly, but I did not feel the same joy as those moments of other persons saying "Yes" to service for Christ. If my joy had been happiness, obviously the other case would have been true: I would have been bubbling over by the honor I had received, much more so than what was happening later, when persons came forward whom I do not even know. My little story gives some hints into how to differentiate happiness and joy.

I will contrast, now, Freud and May. Here is what Freud says to you: "To be happy, be pleasured and avoid pain." May ~ with a direct quote from Will and Spirit~ says to us: "Joy is altogether beyond any consideration of pleasure or pain, and in fact requires a knowledge and acceptance of pain. Joy is the reaction one has to the full appreciation of Being. It is one's response to finding one's rightful place in life, and it can only happen when one knows through and through that absolutely nothing is being denied or otherwise shut out of awareness." I agree with May, except his claim "absolutely nothing being denied ...," for I seriously doubt we can ever know that for certain.

So Paul could present the prospect of his being a martyr and rejoice concerning it, if it should occur, and counsel the Philippian Christians to rejoice, likewise. Also Paul tells them, "Rejoice within your intimacy with the Lord." Paul, like May, knew that joy arises from Being, from God, not from the pleasure or pain of circumstances.

Two evidences of this joy growing in my life, and which indicate the nature of joy, are as follows. I often have spontaneous eruptions of joy, or bliss, and this usually ~ ironically ~ happens outside prayer. I find that I am often joyful when I am suffering some situation that will mature me and bring honor to Christ or on behalf of someone else.

Concluding, I point to our conclusions in this writing...

1. Joy is an inner state of freedom, contentment, and gratitude, and free of circumstance.

2. Joy is rooted, not in circumstance, but in intimacy with Spirit.

3. Joy and pain, or suffering, often occur at the same time.

4. The pursuit of happiness closes one off to joy, for joy can only arise within openness.

5. Happiness is seen to be attainable, joy is a gift we make room in our hearts to receive.

6. Pursuit of happiness is selfish, living with a heart open for joy is always unselfish.

7. When practicing selfless Love, we will always ~ always ~ be led into joy, regardless of the pain the loving causes us.

8. Joy is always a spiritual reality.

Suggested Reflection