The Greek word often translated as "
joy" can be mistaken as meaning "
merry" or "
great happiness" or "
bliss". The word "
joy" comes, through French, from the Latin
"gaudia" ≈ "joy" and which became
"gaudy".
The ancient Greek word
"χαρά" ≈ "favor, grace" was the word used to translate the Hebrew word. Following Jesus is not all "
joy" in the modern English sense of the word.
Philippians 1:29 For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake; [kjv]
At the time, the meaning of "
suffer" was to "
passively endure". So much of this endurance was painful persecution that the word took on the meaning it has today. Another Greek word meant "
suffer" as in "
to allow".