We have been looking at Jesus' instruction to His disciples. In preparing them for His soon departure from this world, Jesus explained how to get and keep a clean heart, how to nurture a praying heart, and how to have a courageous heart. Jesus said that His desire for us is that we might be full of joy. Perhaps we should define our terms. Joy is not the same as happiness.
Happiness is largly dependent upon events or circumstances.
Joy is the fruit of the Spirit of God and can be experienced even in times of affliction. One fellow described a believer like this, we are like a large bowl of soup carried by a waiter. He holds the bowl high over his head and you cannot tell what is in it until he is bumped and it spills out. If we are filled with joy, then that is what will spill out. Jesus had a very different formula for joy.