“But are you happy?”
A question often heard, asked by well-meaning friends, colleagues and family who genuinely care.
What is happiness? And what exactly does it mean to be happy?
Dictionary.com defines happy as “delighted, pleased, or glad, as over a particular thing.”
Happiness is a “quality or state of being happy; good fortune, pleasure, contentment, joy.”
You may have often heard being happy is dependent on circumstances. We humans tend to chase happiness, longing to permanently park ourselves in that happy place.
One question that begs an answer: exactly how are we to be happy, or exactly what is that mysterious formula to finding happiness?
Would you believe the Bible addresses these very questions?
Psalm 144:15b reads, “Happy are the people whose God is the Lord.” (NKJV)
Does true faith, a relationship with God, a desire to follow God bring happiness? The psalmist seems to think so!
Psalm 37:4 indicates a reward for that type of faith: “Take delight in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.” (NIV)
I wonder when, our hearts are truly captivated by Him, our desires are aligned with His will, and our wishes are attuned with His attitude, then the desires of our hearts won’t be selfish or sinful but pleasing to Him.
Ecclesiastes 2:26a brings a surprising promise to those who only imagine God to be an authority ruling and judging from far away: “To the person who pleases Him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness.” (NIV)
When our actions, attitudes, thoughts and tasks please God, He will happily dole out gifts of wisdom, knowledge and yes, even happiness to His beloved children. Just like a doting Father!
The pursuit of happiness is fulfilled in the pursuit of Jesus.
When we intentionally pursue Jesus, when we try to live for Him, accomplishing His to-do list, when we whole-heartedly pursue His will for the day, the hour, the moment, we learn as individuals, “Life isn’t about me at all, it’s all about Him.“
When that novel revelation hits deep in the heart and stirs the soul to searching for significance in Him, instead of from someone or something else, we begin to comprehend how He rewards obedience.
Benefits of Obedience:
Psalm 16:8-9 tells us, “I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With Him at my right hand, I will not be shaken. therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices, my body also will rest secure.” (NIV)
With my eyes on God, I will learn surrender to Him.
I won’t be scared to death.
I won’t have a heavy heart.
I will not list complaints, bringing both myself and others down.
I won’t be kept awake by nightmares.
I will rest secure, without a stressed mind or an anxious heart.
Look back at Ecclesiastes 2:26, the one who pleases the Lord will be given happiness. It’s not that our deeds earn us happiness. Our hearts belong to God, and although we may make mistakes, we strive to obey. He knows are hearts are focused on Him.
The Promises of Happiness
God promises us happiness when we choose to obey Him.
Psalm 30:5 promises, “For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.” (NKJV)
John 15:11 tells us that Jesus plans for His joy to remain with us, and promises us, “that your joy may be full.” Full, complete, not lacking in any thing.
Proverbs 16:20b gives us a promise we can test: “The one who trusts in the Lord will be happy.” (CSB)
God knows life on the earth can be really rough. He cares about His children. Because He cares, He doesn’t shelter us from every storm. He grows us through the storm. He promises when we trust in Him we will find happiness. He wants us to find true contentment in Him.
He authored a way to obtain happiness: Obey Him.
Surrender our hearts to Him.
Trust in Him.
Because He’s got even this.
Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, Thank You for planting the desire for happiness within me. Thank You for authoring a path to that happiness. Help me obey You, trust You and surrender to You. I trust that in You I will find the contentment I am seeking. In Jesus’ name, Amen.