"Choose happy."

"You have so much to be thankful for, why are you sad?"

"Stop worrying, it's not a big deal."

All of these sayings are common in conversation, but not in practice. Something that I've recently been convicted by is the verse James 1:2-3.

"Count it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance."

When I read that, it was encouraging yes, but how are we supposed to live that out? I sat and stared at the verse for 20 minutes, really trying to understand why James wrote this.

Romans 5:3-5 also reads, "Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance,and endurance produces character, and character produces hope,and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us."

Two different authors. The same joy. The same God.

The definition of joy is a feeling of great pleasure and to rejoice. But in my trials, am I supposed to jump up and down and be happy? I then started to break down the difference between joy and happiness.

Joy is something that the Lord gifts us and is always present. Joy is knowing that God's intentions are pure and better than anything we could ever want or fathom for our lives. Joy results in endurance, character, and hope which are all essential tools to get through rough seasons in our lives.

Happiness is usually based on circumstances. Happiness can be a choice, yes, but is greatly dependent on what is happening in our lives. Being "happy all the time" is not human and not healthy.

If you water down your circumstances, joy will be shadowed by your perspective to "just be happy."

Emotions are human. Joy is superhuman.

Joy is Jesus and the truth that He bared for us that will never change in our circumstances. So, in your trials or hard seasons, be joyful. Know the truth about who you are and where He's taking you. Get excited because the joy He gives you never fails and never ends.