Are You Happy?
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Are you happy? Do you have short moments of happiness in an otherwise miserable life, or are you truly happy? Dennis Wholey, author of Are You Happy? Reports that only about 20 percent of Americans are happy. One psychiatrist defined happiness as follows: “Happiness is an imaginary condition, formerly attributed by the living to the dead, now usually attributed by adults to children and by children to adults.” In other words most everyone in is typically unhappy. Most people believe that happiness is for others and not for themselves. Most people believe that happiness can only be found in other people or places but is not attainable in their station in life.
Is happiness possible? How can I be truly happy when there are always going to be things around me that are not good? The New Testament mentions happiness or joy many times. Yet the joy discussed in the New Testament is almost always linked to Christ, Salvation, or Truth. The first mention of joy in the New Testament is Matthew 2:10 when they heard that the savior had been born. Luke speaks of the joy in heaven over one sinner that repents (Luke 15:10). Heaven and eternity is often times referred to as “joy” (Matthew 25:21; 23). So is happiness possible?
Jesus speaks of joy and sorrow in John 16:19-ff. He speaks of their sorrow and how that their sorrow will be turned to joy. He uses the illustration of a woman in labor and how that she is in sorrow during the labor, but great joy follows. Jesus promises that the joy that will come will be a joy that no man can take away from them.
In John 17:13-ff Jesus notes that He spoke truth in the world so that they might have His joy fulfilled in themselves. Jesus tells how that they are among the world and hated by the world yet they are still happy in Christ. This true happiness comes through the truth that Christ brought. This is a happiness that no one can take away. This is a happiness that remains regardless of how those of the world that we live in act towards us. This is a happiness that will last. This is seen again in the writings of 1 John. 1 John 1:4 says, “these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.” John went on in the book to tell them to walk in the light (do right), to stay away from darkness, to love one another, to avoid false teachers, to not love the world, and many other things. John was teaching them the truth of Christ so that their joy could be full. If we want to truly be happy, it can only be found in Christ. It can only be found in the forgiveness and salvation that He offers. It can only be found in knowing that no matter what happens to us in this temporary life we have a permanent home in heaven. It can be found in knowing that no one can take this joy from us regardless of what happens. Can we have true happiness in this life? Yes, and that true happiness is found in Christ!
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To be happy in this world, one must hear The Word.
