The Christian life is a Joy-filled life. Jesus was the most joyful person to ever walk on the earth. He destroyed the burdensome teachings of the religious leaders and invited His followers into a joyful relationship with God. It was His overflowing joy that attracted people to Him.
Second, to love, joy is the main characteristic of the Christian life. When Paul described the characteristics of a person walking in the Spirit, joy was the second quality listed.
Joy is different from happiness. Happiness is all about your circumstances. If everything is going your way, then you are happy. If not, you're not happy. Joy is heart-based. You can be filled with joy every when things are not working out the way you planned.
