April 1, 2022 (Friday)
Pre-Easter Theme: What Jesus Taught Us
Theme for this week: We Can Love God
This week’s blog began with a reference to sharing God’s love being an act of obedience. It is a duty, but more than that it is an expression of the happiness we find in serving our king, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Wherever we go, we find people who want to be happy. It seems to me although that happiness is a goal for many, it is an elusive goal. “Now you see it; now you don’t.” I am not an expert in the subject, but happy people do not seem to be the ones that have made it a goal for life. We want to be happy, so we try to be happy. If this setup describes you, then maybe you need to back away and think about the people you believe are happy. I think you may discover that their happiness is not a goal that they sought, but instead is a byproduct of a meaningful life.
OK, let’s back up a little and let me ask you, “Are you happy?” If you can say, “yes,” then my follow up question is, “Why?” If you say, “No,” then I ask the same question, “Why?” In all probability if you think you are happy, then you may not know why because you have not thought about it much. You just live your life in such a way that things seem to be O.K.
Admittedly, this is a deep subject, worthy of lengthy research and discussion. There are probably a host of answers to what may seem like a simple question. So I would like for you and me to think about happiness from the standpoint of a dedicated Christian, a person who loves the Lord and tries to love everyone else.
If a Christian wants happiness, he must stay close to the Lord, praying, studying his/her Bible, sharing life with others and having meaningful relationships. The “fruit of the Spirit,” spiritual values, should be present in abundance in a Christian’s life if he/she is to be happy. Prominent in the person’s thinking and decision making are “Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self-control.” They are qualities of life that the Holy Spirit who lives within each Believer produces.
Daily walking with the Lord, worshiping, sharing one’s life with others, and loving everyone, regardless of who it is, will almost certainly bring a life of inner peace and all the other desirable qualities associated with happiness.
Happiness may not be experienced by those actively seeking it, but many people are happy because they are living a responsible and meaningful life, loving God and other people.
Peace and Joy and Gladness in the Service of the King