Joy is the Holy Spirit’s second gift.

That joy proceeds from love is obvious to everyone who has met, wooed, and married their spouse.
Webster’s definition of joy is a bit prosaic, though it does appear to suggest three levels of joy: The emotion evoked by well-being, success, or good fortune, or by the prospect of possessing what one desires. At this level, a synonym is delight. 2 the expression or exhibition of such an emotion: for which an appropriate synonym is gaiety, a state of happiness or felicity, synonymous with bliss. 3 a source or cause of delight.
When joy is found only in mere human well-being, success, or good fortune, it’s temporary while this world remains marred. The gaiety from such sources also fades.
Why, then is joy so important?
Joy implies awareness of all the things that are good in life. Ingratitude and dissatisfaction are refusal to admit that anything about life here on earth is good. Such emotions poison relationships, and definitely defy God’s intent for his people. Guilt stops joy entirely.
What to do? Is there any way joy can last?
Yes! Lasting joy is the Holy Spirit’s second gift, because its source is Jesus’ death and resurrection, which gives us what we truly desire. Not temporary success, but permanent freedom from God’s wrath at our sin.
How do we best express lasting joy?
Sing. The Psalms repeatedly command that we rejoice before the Lord, and sing. A single search on Google yields more than 100 sacred and secular songs containing Joy in their titles and lyrics.
Did the lyricist who wrote Jeremiah was a Bullfrog realize he was using ideas from Psalm 98:7?

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If you’ve ever been curious about Heidi’s fiction, there are links to short stories and an anthology on this page.