Happiness… according to the declaration of independence, we have a GOD-GIVEN RIGHT to “pursue it”… We have no GUARANTEE that we’ll catch up with it.
Does God want us to be HAPPY? TIME magazine addressed that question (January 17th, 2005 – page A51) with an article that included almost every THEOLOGICAL OPINION UNDER THE SUN… with SPECIAL attention to AMERICAN PUBLIC OPINION. The DOMINANT view seems to be that “God wants us to be HAPPY, and, if you play by the rules, you’ll GET STUFF (that you want) HERE AND NOW.” (MODERN HAPPINESS, Jennifer Hecht).
Well, I got to thinking, “Does God WANT me to be happy?” There’s simple evidence in the SCRIPTURE to answer, “YES” . . . BUT (there always seems to be a ‘BUT’), it’s HAPPY as GOD defines it. It’s HAPPY that’s found as a BY-PRODUCT of LIVING “by faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me.” It’s a HAPPY that, somehow, is always in relation to God…
I can’t leave Him out… turn my back on Him… give Him the short end of the stick… and still possess the “HAPPY” He intended.
Read Genesis 3. Adam and Eve DISOBEY GOD, and quickly learn what UNHAPPY is. Read Luke 15. The younger son is ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN THAT HAPPINESS LIES OUT THERE SOMEWHERE… over the rainbow… over the hill… over the ocean… wherever, AS LONG AS IT’S FAR AWAY FROM DAD. How wrong he was as he later contemplated his life FROM HIS PLACE IN THE PIG PEN. Each of our OWN BIOGRAPHIES would have a chapter on this, I’m sure.
Does GOD WANT ME TO BE HAPPY? YES! But on His terms, not mine.