Candace Cameron Bure Joins Brother Kirk to Define Differences Between Joy and Happiness Found in Jesus Christ

Candace Cameron Bure had a meaningful discussion about experiencing joy and happiness with her brother actor Kirk Cameron during an episode of his series Takeaways.

The siblings, who are both open about their Christian faith, spoke about the contrast between the two emotions and how real-life situations can influence our understanding of them.

"I think it's good to define the difference between joy and happiness," Bure explained. "Joy is a goodness that comes from inside you, that sustains you when your circumstances around you are tough, are bad, when there are unhappy circumstances. Happiness is conditionally based."

She continued, "Happiness means that the external things around you are going well, and that can change at any moment," she added. "So it's important when we talk about it, to know that there are many days that I may be unhappy because the things going on around me might not be great, but I still have joy inside of me because joy is never dependent upon my circumstances."

The actress noted that her relationship with the Lord allows her to remain focused on what truly matters.

"The joy that I have as a believer and a Christian comes from God. It's knowing that I am at peace with Him, I'm justified before Him, He walks with me, His spirit is upon me. It's knowing my future that's in Heaven. It's having an eternal perspective. That's where I find my joy when my circumstances are difficult."

Kirk agreed that joy is "a fruit of the Holy Spirit" but asked his sister where people can find it.

"It comes from salvation in Jesus Christ and we get that from the Holy Spirit and we know that by reading the Bible," Bure noted. "That's why it's so important that we spend time in God's word every day, to renew our minds, renew our spirits, to encourage us, to keep reminding ourself of God's truth and not allow the world to tell us what it thinks is truth because the world is ever-changing. God never changes."

She said there will be days when we don't feel happy or joyful, yet that can be dependent upon how we "process things."

"I know for me when I can feel overwhelmed or I just have too much work or I've been simply talking too much because it's a part of my job, I like to just shut down. That's where I recharge my batteries and I do find the joy. I need to be quiet. I need to be still. I need to spend time with the Lord and pray."

Working in the entertainment industry, where being the best is essential, Bure said she always wants to stay humble before God.

"That's something I'm so hyper-aware of because I work in the entertainment industry," the actress stated. "It's like the goal is to get puffed up and win awards and have great ratings and whatever and I think about it often because I don't want to be that person. I always want to stay humble before the Lord."

Bure also assured those who are doubtful of finding true joy and happiness to seek wisdom from the Holy Spirit, as well as a church community.

"The Bible says that only God gives peace that surpasses all understanding. Only true peace can come from the Lord and circumstances are always going to be there," she said. "Some things may not ever get better and that's why I think it's so important to be Heavenly-minded and focused. I think there's such great value in community and friendships and the Body of Christ. That is one of the things the church should be doing. If they're doing it well, it's to be community and to help others that are going through difficult times."

Bure added, "Pray, pray, pray, pray. Praying should never be a last resort, ever. It should be the start. Get on your knees, get on your face, pray wherever you're standing or seated, all the time. God doesn't always answer prayers the way we want Him to but it's so important because it not only connects us to Him but it's just saying, 'Lord I am dependent upon you no matter what happens.'"

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