Date Posted: 11/19/2012 7:17:12 AM
Posted By: dsimiyu1 Membership Level: Bronze Total Points: 45
The search for happiness is one of the chief sources of unhappiness. And most of you will agree with me that there is a lot of truth in that statement.If you’ve watched the movie, ‘In pursuit of happiness,’ by Will Smith, you will actually see that we can actually become very unhappy people as we try to become happy. For those who haven’t watched the movie, I recommend that you watch it. It’s a very nice movie.The Bible offers a completely different view of happiness than the world gives. According to the Scriptures, happiness is never something that should be sought directly. It’s always something that results from seeking something else. It’s a by-product. If we seek holiness, we will find happiness. Or as Jesus said in the Beatitudes, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they will be filled.” (Matthew 5:6, NIV). Since the words blessed and happy are used interchangeably in Scripture, this verse could be translated, “Those who hunger and thirst after righteousness will be happy people.”In other words, true happiness comes from getting our lives right with God. As our will is aligned with His, our lives will find their proper balance. Happiness is not based on circumstances; it’s a deep, supernatural contentedness based on the fact that our lives are right with God. This definition flies in the face of the popular notion that in order to be happy we have to have a perfect physique, be incredibly wealthy and be successfully. As the prodigal son discovered, happiness based on circumstances is elusive. Like it says in Matthew 13:22, the enticement of this world can choke our spiritual growth if left unchecked. So how do we avoid these traps? Let’s check on Psalm 1:1-3;Blessed is the man (or, “Oh, the happiness of the man”) who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.If we want to be happy in the truest way, having a deep contentment and sense of fulfillment and purpose in life. If we want the contentedness that comes from a right relationship with God-we must first avoid things that can be perilous to us spiritually. We need to guard ourselves against anything that hinders our spiritual growth.Just like the Wise-man says, “guard your heart with all diligence, for out of it flow the issues of life (including happiness of course).” Proverbs 4:23
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