區分喜樂和快樂Discerning Between Joy andHappiness
[每日靈修] 2/8/2018, 駱鴻銘編譯
「別擔心，快樂就好！」從流行音樂到文化口號，這句格言都是以命令的形式陳述的。它反映出一種觀念，即幸福可以通過意志的行動來喚起。然而，在我們當中普遍存在的假設是，幸福乃是發生在我們身上或在我們裏面發生的事情。這是一種被動的體驗。我們可能會積極尋求它，因為追求它被認為是美國人與生俱來不可剝奪的權利。但快樂本身，儘管難以捉摸，卻往往被認為是非自願的。
聖經所說的快樂與喜樂之間有一些差異。快樂一詞往往比喜樂一詞更寬泛。快樂往往包括知足和滿足的概念，並伴隨著喜悅的感覺。喜樂則暗示更激烈的東西——一種強烈的歡愉感。
如果我們服事上帝是沒有喜樂，那麼這種服事就是有問題的。如果喜樂不是我們生命的特徵，那麼這可能表明我們根本不是基督徒。
活在神的面光中（在神面前禱告）：
喜樂是你生命的特徵嗎？
進一步研讀：
詩三十5 因為，祂的怒氣不過是轉眼之間；祂的恩典乃是一生之久。一宿雖然有哭泣，早晨便必歡呼。
詩四三4 我就走到神的祭壇，到我最喜樂的神那裏。神啊，我的神，我要彈琴稱讚你！
腓四4 你們要靠主常常喜樂。我再說，你們要喜樂。
Discerning Between Joy and
Happiness
“Don’t
worry—be happy!” From popular music to a cultural slogan, this adage is stated
in the form of an imperative. It reflects the idea that happiness can be evoked
by an act of the will. Yet the prevailing assumption among us is that happiness
is something that happens to us or in us. It is a passive experience. We may be
active in seeking it, as its pursuit is considered to be an inalienable right
of Americans. But the thing itself, as elusive as it may be, is often regarded
as something involuntary.
There
is a difference between happiness and the joy of which Scripture speaks. The
term happiness tends to be broader than the term joy. Happiness tends to
include a notion of contentment and satisfaction along with, perhaps, feelings
of joy. Joy suggests something more intense—a strong feeling of gladness.
If we
are serving God without joy, there is something wrong with that service. If joy
is not characteristic in our lives, it may be a sign that we are not Christians
at all.
Coram
Deo
Is
joy a characteristic of your life?
Passages
for Further Study
Psalm
30:5
Psalm
43:4
Philippians
4:4