HAPPINESS IS THE LORD

There are days I just walk through my house thanking God for all the little things that fill the rooms.  Then I thank Him for all of the people that walk through the doors; people that I am blessed to “share life with.”  It was such a day as this last week, as I walked from one room to the next, singing songs of praise, it hit me, “Susan, you have had a happy life!”  The little song I had learned in Sunday School, so many years ago began to echo in my mind:

“Happiness is to know the savior

Living a life within his favor

Having a change in my behavior

Happiness is the Lord”

Oh yes, I have had a very happy life.  Am I more blessed than most or do I just recognize the blessings?  Is the happiness a fleeting emotion unleashed because of a momentary pleasure or is there something  that bubbles up from deep within, when I “Think of the Goodness of Jesus?” 

People are constantly searching for something to feed the “Happiness Gene” that seems to exist in a perpetual state of hunger.  Millions of dollars are spent on the latest gadgets, luxury automobiles, houses and vacations trying to finally satisfy the longing for happiness.  It remains unsatisfied because the gadget doesn’t remain the latest, a newer car model will be released and someone will build a bigger house.  Men and women opt for divorce and go after another man or woman, convinced that God wouldn’t want them to be UNHAPPY!  SO, DOES GOD WANT YOU HAPPY?  I believe that He DOES want you happy, but God’s definition seems to war against our definition of happiness and the search continues.

The Bible gives us clues to follow in our pursuit of happiness, Psalms 37:4 says “Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart.”  An unexpected thing happens to our mind as we begin to “Delight ourselves in the Lord,” all of the things we just thought we “couldn’t live without,” suddenly seem to slide down the priority list and our hearts begin to desire anything that will strengthen our relationship with God.  We suddenly find we have moved and are living in the STATE OF HAPPINESS.

There are other “Keys to Happiness” in the Word of God.  Some of them are definitely NOT items I would choose to place in my “happiness bag.”  Job: 17 says “If we allow God to correct us, we will be happy.”  Psalms 128:2 declares “a person is happy when they eat from the labor of their hands.”  Then of course we read in Proverbs from the wisdom of Solomon; “Happy is the man who finds wisdom and gains understanding,” “Heeds the word wisely and trusts in the Lord.”  Proverbs goes on to tell us that a “reverent man is happy,”  as is the one who “keeps the law.”  Back to my little song;  “Happiness is to know the Savior. Living a life within His favor.”  So it would seem that God does indeed want His Children to be happy. 

God doesn't dangle happiness like a carrot at the end of the stick to manipulate and entice you in to following His plan.  He offers you happiness as a gift and allows you to choose.  Happiness by GOD'S definition or the temporary and fleeting happiness derived from following your own plans, pursuing your selfish dreams and building your own little kingdom, which will all eventually crumble and fall.

1 Timothy 6:6 "Now Godliness with contentment is great gain."

I think the writer of the Sunday School song had finally figured out real happiness.  "HAPPINESS IS THE LORD!"

SPEAK HAPPY!!!

Have you ever said or heard someone say, “I just want to be happy!”  We all want to harness that euphoric feeling we call happiness, but for some it remains an elusive dream.  It could be that we have defined happiness as the “pot at the end of the rainbow” and the rainbow keeps disappearing before we find the pot.  Are you ready for a huge revelation?  Once you get this little factoid settled in your brain, you will be on your way to happiness.  “Happiness is NOT the Pot.”  Possessions and things are not happiness, so put your money into a retirement account that you will leave to your selfish children and determine in your heart to BE HAPPY.

Luke 12:15 And He said to them, “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.”

What if I’m just not destined for happiness?  HOGWASH!!!  You want happiness?  Then use your mouth and SPEAK happiness into your life.  REALLY???  It is that easy?  Your mouth has convinced you that you are not happy and you will never be happy so eliminate the “NOT” and “NEVER” and SPEAK HAPPY.

In his book, “Happy This Year,” Will Bowen wrote “Happy people believe they are happy.”  Now we’re talkin’!!!  Happiness really is a “state of mind.”  If you think you are sad, deprived, blessed or happy, YOU ARE!  OK, I’m THINKING happy thoughts and I’m SPEAKING happy words but my circumstances haven’t changed!  IT’S NOT ABOUT YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES!!!  It is about CHANGING YOUR THINKING.  An amazing transformation occurs when your thinking becomes happy, although your circumstances may not have changed, your view of them has and so you think they have.

Now that we have established the “Philosophy of Happy,” it is time to start “Speaking Happy.”  Stand in front of a large mirror and SMILE because happy people are “smiley” people.  SPEAK; define yourself as a happy person.  Go ahead, SAY IT; “I am so happy today.”  Now walk through your house, stop focusing on emptiness or the things you don’t see.  Although, your happiness does not depend on your possessions, start counting the things you own and the people who live there as blessings.  SPEAK thankfulness, SPEAK praise, SPEAK happiness.  This last exercise may stretch you and be the most difficult one but you want to be happy don’t you?  THINK really hard about someone else.  What can you do for them that will put a smile on their face and happiness in their heart?  Got an idea?   NOW, GO DO IT!!!!  SPEAK HAPPINESS to someone else.

1 Timothy 6:6 Now, Godliness with contentment is great gain. We may live IN a World of Discontentment but we don’t have to be OF a World of Discontentment.  If you really want a happy life, then have a happy life.  SMILE, BE THANKFUL, SPEAK HAPPY!!!