Am I choosing joy?

And do not be worried, for the joy of the Lord is your strength and your stronghold." - Nehemiah 8:10b (Amplified Bible)

But the fruit of the Spirit [the result of His presence within us] is love [unselfish concern for others], joy, [inner] peace, patience [not the ability to wait, but how we act while waiting], kindness, goodness, faithfulness, - Galatians 5:22 (Amplified Bible)

If you were to follow the wisdom of the world, then the goal in life is to be happy. As long as you are happy, then you are where you should be. However, when you stop being happy, you will need to make a change in your life to regain that happiness. The challenge with that philosophy is that happiness is a feeling, and feelings change like the blowing of the wind. When feelings are driven by a sinful nature that is controlled by self-serving motives, the result is what you see in the world today; a microwave culture that executes life by if it isn't immediately gratifying, then quit and go find what makes you happy.

Sometimes we struggle to grasp the biblical view of joy because of the way it is defined and described in Western culture today. In particular, we often confuse joy with happiness. In the Beatitudes (Matt. 5:3–11), according to the traditional translations, Jesus said: "Blessed are the poor in spirit.… Blessed are those who mourn.… Blessed are the meek …" (vv. 3–5, emphasis added), and so on. Sometimes, however, translators adopt the modern vernacular and tell us Jesus said happy rather than blessed. I always cringe a little when I see that, not because I am opposed to happiness but because the word happy in our culture has been sentimentalized and trivialized. - R.C. Sproul

God does not want us happy.

God wants us holy.

Obey God because you are his children; don't slip back into your old ways—doing evil because you knew no better. But be holy now in everything you do, just as the Lord is holy, who invited you to be his child. He himself has said, "You must be holy, for I am holy." - 1 Peter 1:14-16 (Living Bible)

Am I pursuing happiness or holiness?

Biblical Joy is the confident assurance that the Sovereign, Immutable God and Creator of All, holds me securely in the palm of His hand and orchestrates the best for me as I yield to the Holy Spirit, obediently follow His will, and mature in Christlikeness through sanctification.

You make known to me the path of life; in your presence, there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. - Psalm 16:11 (ESV)

Those who understand God's sovereignty have joy even in the midst of suffering, a joy reflected on their very faces, for they see that their suffering is not without purpose - R.C. Sproul.

There is joy in serving Jesus,
As I journey on my way,
Joy that fills the heart with praises,
Every hour and every day.

There is joy in serving Jesus,
Joy that triumphs over pain,
Fills my soul with heaven's music,
Till I join the glad refrain.

There is joy in serving Jesus,
As I walk alone with God.
Tis the joy of Christ, my Savior,
Who the path of suffering trod.

There is joy in serving Jesus,
Joy amid the darkest night.
For I've learned the wondrous secret,
And I'm walking in the light.

There is joy, joy,
Joy in serving Jesus,
Joy that throbs within my heart;
Every moment, every hour,
As I draw upon His power,
There is joy, joy,
Joy that never shall depart. - Oswald J Smith

The world looks for happiness through self-assertion. 
The Christian knows that joy is found in self-abandonment. - Elisabeth Elliot

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing so that by the power of the Holy Spirit, you may abound in hope. - Romans 15:13 (ESV)

Be Encouraged to choose Joy!

-Jeffrey Thornton