Joy – Deep Delight

Joy is such an interesting emotion. On the feelings wheel it is situated between ecstasy and serenity – bordered by optimism and love. Ironically, it has very little in common with happiness but is indelibly intertwined with sorrow and suffering… let’s figure out how this could be.

We must begin by looking at joy as a simple emotion. This type of joy (sometimes referred to as excited joy) is bright & light, playful & easy, energetic & vivid. It’s the picture of a child filled with delight, wonder & gladness while repeatedly playing peek-a-boo. While this type of joy can be felt by one person, we often catch it by observing it in someone else.

Next, think about joy as a mood (being joyful). This happens when the fulfillment of some desire is imminent – “We’re almost there!” or when the wish or hope has been fulfilled – “She said yes!” Joy as a mood state is longer lasting than an emotion, but still transient.

Then there’s joy as a personality trait (being joy-filled). Whereas joy as an emotion or mood requires positive external life circumstances, dispositional joy comes from within. Some call this enduring joy and it looks like satisfaction, confidence, delight, or gratitude. People who are joy-filled know what matters most, find delight in the small things and live congruently. This type of joy is the picture of an older couple contentedly sitting on a park bench, quietly smiling.

Finally, there is joy as a virtue (when you’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in your heart to stay . In addition to the trait of joy mentioned above, this type of joy brings with it enduring contentment, even in the midst of severe persecution, suffering or sorrow. In Christianity it is one of the seven spiritual fruits mentioned in Galatians 5, a quality that comes as a natural outcome of being with God & feeling His presence. Both secular and theological research shows this type of joy increases when we go through hard circumstances.

This is where the paradox of finding joy within suffering comes into play. This principle is found several times in Scripture (Psalm 30:5, Psalm 126:5-6, John 16:20, Romans 12:12, 2 Cor. 6:10, 1 Thessalonians 1:6) as well as other sacred texts. Researchers agree that when we feel joy mingled with suffering, we are our most alive and most authentic selves. I suppose this is the reason I have the Greek word for Joy (χαρὰν) tattooed on my wrist. My inspiration was James: 1:2-4 – “Remember to be joyful, especially when trouble happens. Through these difficulties you’ll learn to fully trust God and patiently endure suffering, once this happens, you’ll be whole and complete.”

Without getting into the details of my life story let me honestly say that deep wounds of pain and disappointment have brought with them profound purpose, and genuine joy. My experience is not unique, stories from individuals who have lived with sorrow and suffering intimately (e.g., people who live with chronic pain, severe disabilities, terminal illnesses, past/present abuse, systemic oppression etc.) have been recorded for centuries.

So, where are you today? Experiencing the dopamine high simple joy can bring? Do you remember the last time you were joyful or joy-filled? How can you make these experiences last? And… for those of you going through a season of difficulty or darkness – can you find any way to find joy admist your struggle or suffering?

Resources:

Joy & Sorrow poem (Kahlil Gibran): https://poets.org/poem/joy-and-sorrow

Joy & Sorrow in famous art: https://www.bbc.com/…/20191202-joy-in-painting-why…

Joy realizing she needs sadness (Inside Out): https://youtu.be/AcfmHoUiNnw