Pursuit of happiness

"How do you like your job?"

"It's okay."

"As long as you're happy, right?"

"How's that new relationship going?"

"Pretty good, I think."

"Well, what matters is that you'll be happy."

"I've decided to go back to school."

"Great. As long as this will make you happy."

We've all made decisions and been given feedback.

Positive people in our lives want us to be happy with what we've done.

The idea seems to be that anything we do can be worthwhile IF it makes us happy.

WHO SAYS YOU SHOULD BE HAPPY?

I actually saw and heard a pastor say this:

"Who said that you're supposed to be happy?"

It came as a shock.

Don't most people believe or at least hope that religion or spirituality should make you happy?

"Hey, join us and you'll be miserable."

Not a good recruiting plan in most situations, is it?

However, if someone wants to be a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ, should they be told,

"It's wonderful because He is wonderful!

You'll be smiling, laughing, happy, and have so many amazing experiences.

And that's just the beginning because you'll get the Lord's kindness shown to you forever!" Ephesians 2:4-7

Should other things be mentioned to them or would that spoil the fantasy of Christian happiness?

Then Jesus said to all of them,

"If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me.

For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it." Luke 9:23-24

They [Paul and Barnabas] preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples.

Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples and encouraging them to continue in the faith.

"We must endure many hardships to enter the kingdom of God," they said. Acts 14:21-22

Maybe non-Christians who hear the good news about Jesus and new believers aren't ready for spiritual reality.

Eventually, they must understand that to live godly in Christ Jesus may mean persecution, trouble, and suffering for His name. John 16:33; Acts 5:40-41; 9:15-16; Romans 5:3-5; 2 Timothy 3:12; Hebrews 13:13; 1 Peter 4:12-13, 16

Along with that, disciples can be filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit. Psalm 16:11; John 15:11; Acts 13:50-52; Romans 14:17-18; 15:13; Galatians 5:22-23; 1 Thessalonians 1:6

HAPPINESS IS AVAILABLE

So, did anyone important say that we should or at least could be happy?

Blessed [happy, fortunate] is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people He has chosen as His inheritance! Psalm 33:12

Are you and I people He has chosen as His inheritance? Ephesians 1:18

"So if I [Jesus], your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet.

I have set you an example so that you should do as I have done for you.

Truly, truly, I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him.

If you know these things, you will be blessed [happy, fortunate] if you do them." John 13:14-17

So, if we "wash others' feet" such as doing tasks that others don't want to do, can we know that if we serve others in love like this, Galatians 5:13 we'll be happy as Jesus said?

"King Agrippa, I [Paul] consider myself fortunate [happy, blessed] to stand before you today to defend myself against all the accusations of the Jews." Acts 26:2

BLESSED, HAPPY, FORTUNATE

Jesus gave a recipe for those who want happiness.

The ingredients include the following --

Be poor in spirit;

Mourn;

Be humble;

Be hungry and thirsty for righteousness;

Be merciful;

Be pure in heart;

Be a peacemaker;

Be persecuted because of righteousness;

Be insulted, persecuted, and spoken evil of falsely because of Jesus.

Matthew 5:3-11

If we mix these into our lives, Jesus said that we would be blessed, happy, and fortunate because we'd receive these blessings --

Kingdom of Heaven;

Comfort;

Inherit the earth;

Filled;

Shown mercy;

See God;

Called God's children;

Great reward in Heaven.

Matthew 5:3-12

OIL OF JOY

The Bible says that the Lord Jesus Christ was anointed with the Holy Spirit without limit. Luke 4:18-19; John 3:34

God the Father's fullness was in Him Colossians 1:19 and Jesus was God in bodily form. Colossians 2:9

Part of that fullness was the oil of joy more than anyone else.

But about the Son [Jesus] He says:

"Your throne, O God, endures forever and ever, and justice is the scepter of Your kingdom.

You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness;

therefore God, Your God, has anointed You above Your companions with the oil of joy." Hebrews 1:8-9

Wouldn't it be great to have that joy?

Couldn't that God-kind of joy help us to be happy?

Jesus said,

"As the Father has loved Me, so have I loved you. Remain in My love.

If you keep My commandments, you will remain in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and remain in His love." John 15:9-10

So, let's remain in His love and keep His commandments. John 13:34-35; 15:12; 1 John 3:23

Then what?

"I have told you these things so that My joy may be in you and your joy may be complete." John 15:11

Sounds nice: Jesus' joy in His followers and complete joy, too.

Let's also ask, seek, and knock for it! Matthew 7:7-8

Your thoughts?

R. Jason