Am I happy?
Someone said that there are three essentials of happiness, they are: something to do, someone to love, something to hope for. As I reflect on this thought, it seems this is basically it, but the reality of God makes the whole difference, because in His wisdom man does not have to do just a-n-y-t-h-i -n-g and then disappear from the face of the earth, but man has something to do that lays yet another brick in God’s Kingdom that is eternal - be it a faithful prayer on behalf of those who are bound by the sin and captured by the deception of the one-day-glory or offering a prayer of worship and praise, which releases the power of God to manifest His might and love among the living. Among the “something-to-do” there is everyday work in forgiving, understanding, speaking the truth, accepting, counseling, ministering healing, listening to, discipling and feeding those who are around us. In living the legacy of “something to do” for us God wants us to remember who He is and who we are in His eyes and He wants us to remind others of these things.
Another essential of happiness is to have someone to love. To be able to do so I have to come back to the reality of God. It is God who is love and it is He who enables me to love. It is not just having someone to love; it is having the love relationship that is healthy, not manipulative, not selfish or demanding. Would you agree that love lives when there is a living source for it? Love is giving. I believe it was Mother Theresa who said, “Give until it hurts” meaning that it is that sacrificial. But it is not the end, for if we give to the point of hurt we can reach our deadly point and that is why we need the living source. For love is not only giving, but it is also receiving. And so we run to Jesus whom we have as the Lover of our souls, and out of the love that He pours upon and into us, we are able to love and to give, whether it be to our husband or wife, children or parents, friends and even our enemies.
And finally, the third essential of happiness is to have something to hope for. There are many things we hope for – some hope for a better job, others hope that the relationship with the dear person will last, one hopes that everything will go well with the aging parent who is in the hospital, another hopes to pass the exam and there are many other things we hope for. Thankfully some of our hopes come to pass, and sadly, others do not. And yet in the gladness of some of these hopes that come to pass and in the disappointment of the hopes that did not come to pass I have to come to the reality of God. And the reality of God is that He is our hope and we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God (Rom 5:2-5) and even more, we rejoice in the sufferings. Our joy in the hope of the glory of God is our strength, for when His glory is revealed completely and His sovereign plan of redemption is accomplished we, having hope and confidence in the blood of Jesus, will be able to gaze upon His beauty and we will not then be dragged or condemned by our sin, standing in His presence healed from the wounds that we ourselves or others afflicted on us, having our tears wiped dry; and then we will be whom God created us to be and He will be our God in His full glory. And this hope that is offered to us is as an anchor for our soul, firm and secure (Hebrews 6: 18-19), no matter how hard the waves beat.
I hope you find the path to happiness.
Someone said that there are three essentials of happiness, they are: something to do, someone to love, something to hope for. As I reflect on this thought, it seems this is basically it, but the reality of God makes the whole difference, because in His wisdom man does not have to do just a-n-y-t-h-i -n-g and then disappear from the face of the earth, but man has something to do that lays yet another brick in God’s Kingdom that is eternal - be it a faithful prayer on behalf of those who are bound by the sin and captured by the deception of the one-day-glory or offering a prayer of worship and praise, which releases the power of God to manifest His might and love among the living. Among the “something-to-do” there is everyday work in forgiving, understanding, speaking the truth, accepting, counseling, ministering healing, listening to, discipling and feeding those who are around us. In living the legacy of “something to do” for us God wants us to remember who He is and who we are in His eyes and He wants us to remind others of these things.
Another essential of happiness is to have someone to love. To be able to do so I have to come back to the reality of God. It is God who is love and it is He who enables me to love. It is not just having someone to love; it is having the love relationship that is healthy, not manipulative, not selfish or demanding. Would you agree that love lives when there is a living source for it? Love is giving. I believe it was Mother Theresa who said, “Give until it hurts” meaning that it is that sacrificial. But it is not the end, for if we give to the point of hurt we can reach our deadly point and that is why we need the living source. For love is not only giving, but it is also receiving. And so we run to Jesus whom we have as the Lover of our souls, and out of the love that He pours upon and into us, we are able to love and to give, whether it be to our husband or wife, children or parents, friends and even our enemies.
And finally, the third essential of happiness is to have something to hope for. There are many things we hope for – some hope for a better job, others hope that the relationship with the dear person will last, one hopes that everything will go well with the aging parent who is in the hospital, another hopes to pass the exam and there are many other things we hope for. Thankfully some of our hopes come to pass, and sadly, others do not. And yet in the gladness of some of these hopes that come to pass and in the disappointment of the hopes that did not come to pass I have to come to the reality of God. And the reality of God is that He is our hope and we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God (Rom 5:2-5) and even more, we rejoice in the sufferings. Our joy in the hope of the glory of God is our strength, for when His glory is revealed completely and His sovereign plan of redemption is accomplished we, having hope and confidence in the blood of Jesus, will be able to gaze upon His beauty and we will not then be dragged or condemned by our sin, standing in His presence healed from the wounds that we ourselves or others afflicted on us, having our tears wiped dry; and then we will be whom God created us to be and He will be our God in His full glory. And this hope that is offered to us is as an anchor for our soul, firm and secure (Hebrews 6: 18-19), no matter how hard the waves beat.
I hope you find the path to happiness.
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