What is the difference between joy and happiness?

As we launch into our series “Unshackled: Joy Beyond Circumstances” from the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Philippians, I want to encourage us to consider more deeply whether there is a difference between joy and happiness. There are a millions articles about the superficiality of happiness, but Scripture actually does reference happiness as an experience of life with God. That being said, our culture often simplifies happiness into a fleeting, emotional state that we are perpetually seeking without really finding it. Joy, on the other hand, involves a decision of the will to approach life in a certain way, with a certain mental state, regardless of circumstances. Scripturally, we see that joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer in Christ (Galatians 5:22-23) and is from first to last a gift from God (Psalm 19:18; 21:6; 94:19; John 15:11; Romans 14:17; 15:13; 1 John 1:4).

Here is a video excerpt from the Yale Center for Faith & Culture‘s consultation on the Theology of Joy wrestling with this very question: “What is the difference between joy and happiness?”