Pleasure vs. Joy
A few years ago, I wrote a book called High Definition Life. I also wrote a version for youth. In the book, I talked a lot about joy; especially the difference between joy and pleasure.
In our culture, there are a lot of things that bring us pleasure, and these aren’t always bad! Maybe it’s grandma’s famous pumpkin pie that brings you pleasure, or receiving flowers from your husband, or perhaps it’s getting an “A” on a report you worked hard on. But true joy is different from pleasure. Genuine joy comes from within, not from outside us.
In John 7:38 in the Bible, Jesus said, “If you believe in me, come and drink. For the Scriptures declare that rivers of living water will flow from within.”
Did you catch that? Rivers of living water don’t flow from outside of us, meaning we can’t derive true joy from things in this world. Rather, from within.
The difference between joy and pleasure should give you hope, because it means that regardless of what you’re facing right now, it’s possible to have joy if you rely on Christ, because His spirit is within you.
Share this Good News with someone today; tell someone how he or she can have the same joy through Christ.
“The difference between joy and pleasure should give you hope, because it means that regardless of what you’re facing right now, it’s possible to have joy if you rely on Christ, because His spirit is within you.”
John 7:38
“Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’”