Clearly, happiness is hard to come by. There are self-help books galore that people scoop up to try to figure it out. But I want to suggest a book that is widely known and often loved.
Often, when people think about the Bible, they consider it to be a restrictive book. However, that is only true if you do not know its meaning. The Bible (as many of us believe) is God’s Word, and it shows us His plan – including His plan for us. Happiness is included in that.
We are all messed up. We’ve all failed at times. And our only hope is that the One who we have truly hurt and disappointed forgives and saves us. After all, Jesus said (John 10:10) “I have come that they may have life and have it in abundance.” Without a doubt, that is what we all want.
And when you accept what He has said and done, you can find the happiness that everyone is searching for. (By the way, if you would like to know more about that, just reach out to us. We’d love to share the hope that we’ve found.)
The book of Psalms opens up like this… “How happy is the one who does not walk in the advice of the wicked or stand in the pathway with sinners or sit in the company of mockers! Instead, his delight is in the LORD’s instruction, and he meditates on it da and night. He is like a tree planted beside flowing streams that bears its fruit in its season, and its leaf does no wither. Whatever he does prospers. The wicked are not like this; instead, they are like chaff that the wind blows away. Therefore the wicked will not stand up in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked leads to ruin.”
If you think about it, that makes complete sense. You will never be happy if you spend your time around negative people, complainers, and those who do not care about their eternity. God created a wonderful world, and we have messed up so much of it – which is why we must be careful about who is influencing us. We must strive for what’s good and right.
Another really good passage to consider is Luke 6:43-45: “A good tree doesn’t produce bad fruit; on the other hand, a bad tree doesn’t produce good fruit. For each tree is known by its own fruit. Figs aren’t gathered from thornbushes, or grapes picked from a bramble bush. A good person produces good out of the good stored up in his heart. An evil person produces evil out of the evil stored up in his heart, for his mouth speaks from the overflow of the heart.”
What is your heart like? Where does your hope lay?
You can find happiness when the heart is right – just as a tree produces fruit according to what is inside.
Consider Max Lucado’s great book for more insight…
