Why are some Christians just so happy?

I always thought the Holy Spirit would change my personality but I seem to be serious a lot. I don’t know if this is a personality issue or what. I see men like David Wilkerson and Paul Washer who always seem serious to but love the Lord with all there heart. Then I see other’s who are always “happy go-lucky” and smiling and full of life and laughter.

They both have the Joy of the Lord but one seems happier ya'know. John 15:11

I often wonder how Jesus’ personality was. Could I joke with him? Did he smile a lot? Would he always look me in the eye? I don’t know.

I wonder if the Holy Spirit changes your personality or is this how we were made. I just want unsaved people to see Jesus in my personality.

I think we were meant to keep a lot of our personality. God made us different. But parts of our personality have been tainted by sinful habits, and that must change. I have true joy, but I'm a quiet person. Sometimes I'm bubbly and sometimes i'm quiet and serious, but I've always got the joy. I'm like you though. I think I need to be more outspoken sometimes, because people can't always read you.

The Holy Spirit will only change the parts not of God, the selfish, sinful parts - and then only if we let Him.

You only have to look at the disciples to see the complete mixture of personalities Jesus chose!
Look also at all the various personalities throughout the Bible, the strengths and weaknesses shown.
Moses, Gideon,Jehoshaphat and others were all taught an important lesson that it is not through their strengths but through their weaknesses that God did His most powerful works.

He made us all different, we're not robots off a production line. God chose us the way we are and the amazing thing is that He uses our weaknesses as well as our strengths.

Don't make the mistake though of interpretting happy bubbly personalities as being more full of Joy!
Many a sad, breaking heart lies beneath a smile and a laugh!

A colleague of my husband turned up at our house for the first time a month ago and was such a comedian, he could be on the stage. He told me the next day that it was all a mask. I told him I knew that as I felt his heart and felt his loneliness and pain, he was stunned! no one had ever spoken to him like that before, I told him that God is more real than he would ever dare to believe.

True Joy from the Lord is not determined by how we feel or is it affected by troubles and trials, in fact we are told in James 1 to count our trials as joy - just look at Paul the Apostle, everything he went through, yet he had Joy from the Lord, Jesus endured the death on a cross because of the Joy that was before Him (Hebrews 12v2)
Joy is a fruit we grow and cultivate regardless of circumstances.

One thing God has really impressed on my heart is that 'The Joy of the Lord is your strength' and the enemy's role is to 'kill, steal and destroy' everything God has for us, if the enemy robs your Joy - he also has your strength.

Paul Washer told us at Moriah that he is a very serious character when it comes to the things of God and yet has been criticised by Christians for being so exuberant in his joyful playing with his children! as he said to us I am also a 100% father who enjoys my children!

Scripture tells us that our Heavenly Father joys over us with singing! How wonderful is that - God himself looks upon us with such joy that He sings!(Zephaniah 3v17)

Jesus was 100% human as well as 100% God - sure he feels every emotion as we do - as He wept and grieved at losses He sure would have also laughed and shared fun as well.
He would have had to have had a personality like that to attract all the children He did!

I'm sure the disciples would not have had a fully somber and serious three years with him - there must have been times of joy and laughter!
And one day He will present us to His Father, pure and blameless - with much Joy! (Jude 24)

Scripture speaks of a celebration in heaven eveytime a sinner repents! it's a very joyful, noisy, happy place!Jesus taught the parable of the prodigal son to express our Fathers great Joy over His child who returns home -much music and dancing, so much so the elder brother was jealous, he'd never had such a party thrown in his honour!Luke 15v22-32

Sure Jesus would have always looked you in the eye,He was a great communicator with a heart of compassion - I think the question is could we look Him in the eye!

Don't worry about your personality, how serious you may be, or how exuberant and bubbly, unsaved people will see Jesus in your personality as you grow close to Lord and grow in the fruit of the Spirit, especially Love - 'by your love people will know that you are my disciples'

My husband had to sign a contract that he will not promote or preach his faith at work - the thing is, it has made no difference, he's not had to try and promote his faith, people have asked him if he is a Christian because of the way he acts and how different he is.

He is regarded a father figure to his team mates and even his boss and is held in the highest esteem, we've even had his colleagues turning up on our doorstep to talk with us and he's never had to volunteer talk about God! - it's all come from them.
It is by your fruit you will be known but don't strive at it, trying too hard will turn people away from you, just allow God to do the work in you.

The Christian is transformed by the renewing of his/her mind (Rom 12:2)... & we are to set our minds on the Things above, & not of this world... (this brother is an encouragement, and not a rebuke that I post this; and but quickly, for I must go to work shortly). I also encourage you to read the fourth chapter of Ephesians. I will leave you with a small extract from a blessed book,
"There is something wrong with our nobility when it is not crowned with radiance. There is something wrong with our good-will whenn it does not bear the hall-mark of good cheer. There is something wrong with our communion when we are not "children of light." When the bridal attire is missing there is little or nothing about us to suggest that we are the brides of the Lamb. How are men and women to know that we are of the King's Household if we do not wear the garments of Salvation? How can they believe that we have gazed upon the Divine Glory if we do not wear the splendours of "the garment of praise?"
I remember two significant sentences in one of Robert Louis Stevenson's letters, which express the common judgment of the world: "I do not call that by the name of religion which fills a man with bile. If a man is surly, filled witha dull and bitter disposition, if he be sombre and melancholy, how can he witness of the glories of the eternal life?" And the other sentence is this: "I will think more of his prayers when I see him with a Spirit of praise."
Stevenson wanted to see common gratitude before he received the witness of clamant piety. If our religion does not clothe us in the refinements of common courtesies it will fail to win the interested attention of the men of the world. A fine spiritual grace, nobly warn, is a great witness for the Lord. The distinction between the Church anf the world ought to be found in the difference of their habits. The elect ought to prove their relationship by the beauty of their moral and Spiritual attire." - John Henry Jowett (Things That Matter Most,Devotional Papers; Chapter 7)
I love the blessed truth of what Keith Daniel has said,... something like (but it is very true), "If you don't spend time with God in the morning, before you go out, meditating on Him, and soaking yourself in the Word of God, you will backslide." I believe he said something like this in his audio sermon here at SI titled, "Protection From Backsliding."
I encourage you friend to press on to those Great Heavenly blessings :o)

Silo: He was anointed with the oil of gladness above His fellows. Everyone always portrays him as so somber. Being serious and sober does not mean being somber. I will bet He was a really fun person to be around. I loved the way the visual Bible portrays him in the gospel of Matthew. They did an awesome job of portraying joy.

God does desire to fill you with joy. It is your strength. The Holy Spirit does not change your personality. But He will give you joy. Manifested joy is what we think of as happiness. God gave you your personality to be used for His glory. Enjoy it, it came from Him. But allow Him to fill you with joy.

Joy is the fruit of the Spirit that comes from
abiding in His Word and remaining in His love.
We can always rejoice in the LORD, in His grace,
His love, His mercy, and His truth and rejoice
again in all HE has done for us!!