How Can We Find Happiness?

We all desire to be happy, but how do you find happiness? Gabe Lyons explores the difference between happiness and joy.

Questions for Discussion and Personal Reflection

  1. What is the difference between happiness and joy in your mind?
  2. How might finding a sense of purpose lead to discovering joy?

You know, I, I see happiness as a state that comes and goes from hour to hour, you know. Happy one moment, the next depressed, you know. But joy is something that sticks. Joy is, is a much deeper, um, basis of how we see the world. Joy comes from recognizing that it's not all up to us. Too many people in our world think it is up to them. They, they actually have bought into this lie that they're the ones that can really get this done. And, and I think their happiness ebbs and flows based on how well they think they're doing at that. I think joy is something that even in the midst of pain, even in the midst of struggle, uh, the midst of going through unforeseen circumstances that you couldn't have predicted or controlled, uh, that there's still a deeper sense that I'm not in this alone. That, uh, because of my faith, because of, uh, Jesus, somebody who has way more control over what's going on and the ability to redeem and fix and, um, solve problems, you know, I, I don't have to rely on myself. And so there's a joy that can be found in that. There's a joy that can be found I think in having purpose that lives outside of just my brain and how I see the world. I'd say, too, that I think finding joy comes when we find our purpose. I mean, I think we're, we're so introspective that, you know, in our society today that really values psychoanalysis and therapy, uh, we, we can be very inward-focused and just constantly in my own head saying, "What is it that I'm supposed to be doing?" And, and, uh, "am I doing, making the right choice? Am I making the right decision? Am I doing the right meeting today? What, should I have made that call? Did I just miss this huge opportunity?" And we struggle because we're so focused internally and we never get outside of ourselves to recognize that, "What if we put our focus on others? What if we put our focus on our meaning in life actually came from serving other people? From using these gifts that God's given me?" And I didn't, it's not because I did anything special. It's just who I've been made to be. That if I could give those away, if I could serve others with those gifts, I think that's when I find the deepest, greatest joy. It's not from trying to consume and find more for me. It's for, "How can I give this away to others?"