Of Happiness
(John 10:10)
Everyone wants to be happy. But the conditions of happiness are all different. Most people want health, wealth, fame and power. But if you see someone who has all those mentioned, it is noticeable that they are not usually happy. Even Solomon, the most powerful, rich and intelligent king of all time said in his Ecclesiastes, that they were all “in vain” multiple times. So is there such thing as unconditional happiness?
To be dignified and respected, and be happy all the time, one must first shed their wrong doing mask first. We live with many masks on. Like I have everything, pretending to be righteous when we are not, looking strong when we are fragile, living like a divine person when you only have a limited lifespan, makes one fall into the trap of unhappiness.
A person living in happiness always admits of their faults, say when they do not know of something, and show their weaknesses. Someone said, “If you wear many masks, you have a faulty life.” Anybody who is hiding under a mask of some sort could never be happy in their life. Apostle Paul said in Colossians 3:9 “Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices”
To be happy is to be opening minded.
It is when you do not run away from the unfortunate and suffering events in life, and instead use that as an advantage to grow. We pray to God that none of these would ever come to us, but God in the bigger flow of life, would always be in a hard way. God lets the hardships in our life happen to solidify and be like him instead. Instead of being buried within the darkness, there should be a window to see the entire picture.
Apostle Paul, despite his hard and turbulent life, had raced to the end like a great victor. In Philippians 4:13 he said, “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” Anyone who believes and lives in such way is living in the happiness.
Also, happiness is not just a part of the result. There is no such thing as complete happiness in life.
Karl Rogers said this about happiness. “What we long for, good life, fulfilled life, beauty, satisfaction, happiness is not of a ‘state’ of the person, but rather a passing-by phase. It is not of the destination, but of the direction one is going to.” Apostle Paul also points out on Philippians 3:12, “Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.” People who are living happy do not chase after the “want” but chase after the “meaning of pursuit” and to chase after the target and to fill in the pathway to it.
Finally, the happiness is a gift that God gives when you share with others.
Jesus said in Mark 10:45, “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” He also said that “those who give is more blessed then those receiving.” Those who are pursuing only their happiness have an empty field in their heart. Their eyes become dry, and red with the thing they pursue. Their vision is tunneled and narrow. Life is not enjoyable, but is trapped in the prison of “want” and loses the life God had given. Instead of peace and satisfaction, they dig their grave deeper to hide.
With all those four points on mind, first removing of the mask of faulty, by experiencing life’s situations, and using that as the stepping stone, and seeing that happiness is not the ending, but just of the passing, and chasing after the goal that God has given to each person, and to give happiness to the neighbors can they live happily. Those in beliefs of the Lord have the knowledge and lives and experiences the facts.
|
What is a healthy church? 
Of Happiness