Fruits of the Spirit: Joy

Joy, many people confuse joy with happiness. Happiness is only temporary and depends on what’s going on at the present time; Joy on the other hand can be present even when your life seems to be falling apart. James 1:2 reads: "My brethren, Count it all joy..." We should always be joyful no matter what’s going on in your life, even when we're not happy, when I looked up the word joy I found "1. Great happiness: feelings of great happiness or pleasure, especially of an elevated or spiritual kind" and when I looked up happiness I found "2 a: a state of well-being and contentment". While I am typing this I am remembering a time when it felt as if my whole life was going wrong. I was not happy in the least, I was scared and upset. When I first found out we where changing churches I was even a little angry, But after I realized that no matter what I said it didn’t change a thing I prayed for joy and acceptance. Even though I was far from happy I felt some joy in knowing that what I was doing was what my parents thought best. That happened a little over a year ago. Last Wednesday night I was talking to a friend and he mentioned something about my first few months at the church and I told him that I was sure I appeared rude at first, his reply was that I seemed quiet and scared but that he could tell I was trying to make the best of it, which is why he and many others decided to try to help me fit in. I was shocked to hear this; my attempt of joy was evident. If I hadn't tried to be joyful I doubt people would have talked to me yet alone try to make me feel welcomed like they did and I might still be miserable and angry about changing churches. So what caused my joy? Certainly not my situation; the lord did, I prayed from joy and He, like a loving father, wanted me to be joyful and He granted me a joy that the lost world will never understand.