Happiness is not an emotional state that's purely the result of external circumstances. And it's more than a momentary reaction. We can be happy in the midst of natural disasters and personal problems, not because we're unaffected by the devastation that these things can bring but because the source of our joy is deeply rooted elsewhere – with Jesus. On the other hand, being situated within the context of advantageous surroundings – a good job, a nice house etc. – doesn't guarantee that we'll be happy.

While other people can make our lives miserable, there are cases where we can be the biggest threats to our own happiness. Without realising it, you may have been the only obstacle standing in your way of experiencing the joy that's readily available to you.

Unnecessary stress
Unnecessarily stressing ourselves out about certain challenges we face in life isn't a sure-fire way of solving our problems but it is a sure-fire way of killing our joy. Regardless of the potential negative outcomes of a particular event in our life, we do ourselves no favours by worrying as we wait for them to unfold.

There are of course circumstances when we are put under a lot of pressure but there are always ways that we can alleviate the stress that we feel. Make the time to address and eliminate or manage the triggers of stress in your life. You can always call on the Lord through prayer to help you as you go through this process.

Loneliness
There's nothing wrong with a bit of alone time. Having the freedom to spend some time in self-reflection, enjoying peace and quiet and use your time however you see fit is no bad thing. But for many people complete solitude is isolating and uncomfortable. And this combination can make them

We can use them to devote our attention entirely to God. If we feel lonely, we should work on improving our awareness of God's presence. He's with us at all times but we need to do more than hear that from other people, we need to experience the comforting feeling of having Him accompany us throughout our lives.

Failing to give thanks
From people to privileges, we all take things for granted from time to time. But the reality of how much we rely on someone or something is extremely acute when we lose them.

Instead of being so concerned with what we haven't got – an approach which will only exacerbate the absence of joy – we should become atuned to what we do have and give thanks for it.  Actively acknowledging the gifts that we've been given, the blessings that have been bestowed on us is one powerful way that we can rediscover our joy when it otherwise seems as though we have nothing to be happy about. Making a note of what we have to be grateful for on a regular basis essentially builds a bank of blessings that we can turn to whenever the going gets tough.

Weak faith
Not worrying, growing closer to God and giving thanks are all things that we're encouraged to do in the Bible. Weak spots in our faith – sometimes manifesting as the failure to do any of these – leaves us vulnerable to sadness.

We get great joy from having a strong faith. It helps us manage the impact that the things we experience have on us. Hope is a central part of our faith and with it comes uncontainable joy. A faith that will sustain us requires us to do more than just pay lip service to the principles of our beliefs. Our actions need to reflect our Christian values if we are to know the joy that comes through Christ.