The Importance of Joy and Happiness
I had heard from the Lord at the end of 2025 that 2026 would be a year of increased anointing. We would be stretching our tents, enlarging them, and experiencing a great increase. Our spheres of influence would increase, and we would begin to give out of abundance rather than out of lack. He said that He would empower us to overcome the spirits of Mammon and Jezebel in 2026 and bring forth great multiplication in many ways. He also said He was going to judge all barrenness and bring forth fruitfulness.
I was excited for Him to give me more revelation and much more detail. However, on January 1, the Lord began ministering to me about the importance of joy and happiness.
What? That didn't seem so profound... but it is.
In the dictionary, joy and happiness are described similarly, yet we often separate their definitions depending on the subject matter.
Fueling Our Forward Motion in God with Joy and Happiness
Many of us are familiar with the passage in Nehemiah 8:10, which says, "the joy of the Lord is your strength" (NKJV). In this context, Nehemiah had been rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem, and he and the Jews had faced enormous opposition from their enemies. To find an internal joy that came through trust and faith in the Lord was necessary to overcome the emotional and heartfelt distress they had been experiencing.
There is something about joy and happiness that will empower us in our new season and will fuel our forward motion in God. I believe the landscape of our lives is about to change! Like the project that Nehemiah and the Jews were involved in, many of us have been in a rebuilding process. Whether God is repairing our families, rebuilding our businesses, restructuring our churches, or repairing the breaches in our walls, joy and happiness are keys right now to overcoming our enemy.
In another book of the Bible, we find a New Testament admonition to do something similar. The passage is about finding a place in our hearts and minds to be HAPPY! I love how the apostle Paul taught about dealing with stress and the importance of happiness. Let's investigate the book of Acts chapter 26, where he spotlights the perfect example of staying unstressed.
We begin our study when Paul was falsely accused and imprisoned while possibly facing an execution. Thank goodness our bad days aren't quite that bad. Nevertheless, how do we face, adapt, and overcome days of despair? We read in Scripture how Paul used and emphasized his happiness as a choice, rooted in faith rather than circumstances, urging the congregation to "think themselves happy" by focusing on thankfulness and positive declarations, no matter what challenges they faced. (Photo via Public Domain)
Let's get started with a small background of our apostle Paul. He was one of many who were chosen to forerun the Gospel.
Most people remember "Saul of Tarsus," a son of a Pharisee, who sought out Christians and persecuted them. Given permission from the high priest, the Pharisees, and the Sadducees to destroy the new movement of Christianity (see Acts 22:4–5 NLT), Paul was bent on destroying all who opposed the Jewish religion and the strict order of the Law. Those who were involved in this new move of Christianity (known as "The Way" in 30 A.D.) were considered enemies of God by Saul and others.
Paul's Wisdom During Persecution
Paul gave one of the most surprising statements in the Bible from the book of Acts when facing a possible death sentence for promoting the Gospel of Jesus Christ: "I think myself happy, King Agrippa, because today I shall answer for myself before you concerning all the things of which I am accused by the Jews, especially because you are expert in all customs and questions which have to do with the Jews. Therefore I beg you to hear me patiently" (Acts 26:2–3 NKJV, italics added).
Paul was standing before King Agrippa, who had the power to take his life, and said, "I think myself happy, King Agrippa." Where did that statement come from?
From there, Paul drew on his wisdom and knowledge (being wise as a serpent and harmless as a dove) and used his trial as an opportunity to preach the Gospel to the king and everyone else listening.
Joy and Happiness Are Choices, Not Conditions
Listen, here's a key: when our days are filled with depression or troublesome times, we must focus on happiness and joy in order to overcome. Below are some suggestions.
Let's begin to think ourselves happy by declaring statements like these:
• "God, I am so thankful for this day."
• "Thank You for my family, my kids, and my grandkids."
• "I am thankful for my health and divine healing."
• "Thank You, Lord, that You said I am beautifully and wonderfully made."
• "Thank You for my job and divine provision."
• "This is the day that the Lord hath made. I will rejoice!"
• "Today I decide to think myself happy!"
Joy and happiness are choices, not conditions. What we say about ourselves does matter. What we are thinking usually comes out of our mouths. Scripture says, "For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he" (Proverbs 23:7 KJV). Paul didn't say, "I feel happy." He said, "I think myself happy." That was intentional language. He was making a decision—a mental and spiritual choice to embrace joy.
Happiness and joy are similar, but again, they are not entirely the same. Happiness is sometimes a little more circumstantial, based on what is going on at the moment. Joy, on the other hand, is spiritually rooted in who God is. Paul's happiness at the time wasn't based on comfort. It was based on conviction. Paul had learned the secret of choosing happiness that led to lasting joy, even when life was hard. (Photo via Unsplash)
Over the many years of Paul's ministry, he endured many hardships—many! Yet there was something internal that kept Him committed to preaching the Gospel. I believe he had to continually "think himself happy" until that joy of the Lord kicked in!
Here's an illustration. Let us use a thermostat versus a thermometer. A thermometer reacts to the environment or measures the temperature, and a thermostat sets or controls the temperature. Paul was a thermostat. He didn't let his surroundings set the temperature. He set his heart on happiness and joy. Paul knew that joy came from purpose. He was happy because he had a purpose, even in prison. He saw his trial as a platform. He wasn't just defending himself; he was proclaiming the Gospel. When we know our lives have meaning, even suffering can be redeemed.
What circumstances are we facing today? Broken relationships? Financial stress? We should ask God this question: How can I use this as a testimony? Remember, a thermostat reacts to the temperature. A thermometer sets the temperature. Our joy can be a lighthouse to someone in a storm. Even though it doesn't save a person from the storm, it does bring people to a safe place.
When we find purpose in our pain, joy becomes possible. Paul's joy wasn't just personal; it was powerful. It made people listen. His happiness was a testimony. It made King Agrippa curious. It made Festus confused. It made the Gospel compelling. Joy isn't something we manufacture. It's something we receive through faith and focus.
In a world full of anxiety, bitterness, and fear, joy stands out. When we smile through suffering, people ask questions. When we praise through pain, people pay attention.
Know Who Holds Our Future
Paul didn't know what King Agrippa would decide, but he knew what God had promised. His joy was not in the outcome but in the ONE who holds the outcome. If we struggle to find joy, we don't look outward; we look upward. Joy doesn't come from circumstances; it comes from Christ.
1. Joy is a choice, not a condition.
2. Joy comes from purpose, not comfort.
3. Joy is a witness, not just a feeling.
4. Joy is rooted in Christ, not circumstances.
Paul thought himself happy, not because life was easy but because God was faithful. This week, when we face frustrations, disappointments or fears, let's pause and say, "I think myself happy," not because everything is perfect, but because God is present. Let joy be our declaration. Let joy be our decision. Let joy be our testimony.
Heavenly Father, thank You for the joy that comes from knowing You. Teach us to think ourselves happy, not because of what we see but because of what we believe. Help us to be thermostats, not thermometers. Use our trials for Your glory. Let our joy be a witness to the world. Let us find purpose in our trials. In Jesus' name, amen.
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Sandie Freed
Sandie Freed Ministries
Email:Â zionministries1@sbcglobal.net
Website: www.lifegatechurch.org |
sandiefreed.net
Dr. Sandie Freed is an apostolic, prophetic leader, author of more than fourteen books, and travels nationally and internationally preaching, teaching, and ministering the Word of God. Ordained as a prophet by Bishop Bill Hamon, Sandie's ministry involves a strong prophetic anointing and spiritual discernment. Her unique gifting is in dreams and visions, and as a modern-day Joseph, she empowers others to interpret God's voice through dreams and visions. Sandie's goal is to always equip the body of Christ in their callings and empower them through revelation of the love of God. To this day, her best selling book is Breaking the Threefold Demonic Cord: How to Discern and Defeat the Lies of Jezebel, Athaliah and Delilah, which has been taught around the world and is printed in many different languages. Sandie and her husband Mickey co-pastor Lifegate Church in Hurst, Texas.
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