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Saturday, July 21, 2012

HAPPINESS, JOY AND BLISS

YES !!
image courtesy google search

Recently I read on the Internet about these three subjects and thought the author had a pretty good handle on the subject. I would have referenced the writer but they/it had disclaimers and required written consent to use any of the words that was written.

HAPPY; In any case what makes you happy? You might consider happiness the idea that it is a pleasant external force interacting upon you (getting something) but that seems a little narrow. You might say it is anything that gets me beyond neutral negativity. Keeping it simple; happiness is feeling good about your world as it exists this moment.

JOY; Joy goes a little deeper and is far more difficult to upset than being happy for the establishment of it depends upon a deep feeling or condition of happiness or contentment not just a surface excitement. It is based upon illumination rather than titillation. Joy is a feeling of delight so deep and so lasting that one radiates happiness and expresses it spontaneously. For the Christian joy is based upon the relationship with Christ. And that fact alone allows joy to remain even in times of sorrow though pain and sadness may rule for a moment our joy will sustain us.

BLISS; when we think of bliss our minds are drawn the Garden Of Eden. A time when the people on earth had it all. They had peace.  The animal kingdom was not bent upon destruction, all their needs were supplied and their relationship with GOD was perfect.

There is no way we can attain to that state until the return of Christ but certain elements of bliss are available to us now. While we struggle to create that state now through labor, relationships, education, family and social structure but the key thing to be aware of is - - the Christian has the opportunity to enjoy a degree of bliss now.

If there is a problem Christians have - - it is they do not have fullness of joy; the scriptures below indicate the possibility of this fact.

John 16:24 Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be made full. 

John 15:11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.

From Wikipedia;

The Fruit of the Holy Spirit is a Biblical term that sums up the nine visible attributes of a true Christian life, according to Paul's Letter to the Galatians chapter 5. Though there are nine attributes to the Fruit of the Spirit, the original Greek term translated as "Fruit" is singular, signifying that there is one Fruit, with nine parts.

Galatians 5:22-25 But the fruit that the Spirit produces in a person's life is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these kinds of things.

Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified their sinful self. They have given up their old selfish feelings and the evil things they wanted to do. We receive our new life from the Spirit, so we should follow the Spirit.

I suggest that if one is running low on Joy it may be because one may be lagging behind in manifesting one of the other fruits of the Spirit.

This is not to be considered a formal treatise upon the subject matter but rather wishes to be a motivator to cause one to study for themselves.


This post is Linked with Charlotte’s Spiritual Sundays

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