LIVING IN TRUE HAPPINESS

LUKE 6:17,20-26

All of us wish to be happy that is why we resort to doing things that will make fulfillment and satisfaction of ourselves that we may consider happiness.

Do we really find happiness in what we are doing?

Are we happy and satisfied with all the accomplishments that we achieved?

Do we feel happiness in every small achievement that we have?

Is your happiness really happiness or just a temporary feeling of satisfaction then at the end of the day you ask yourself why there is still something lacking?

Let God teaches us in the course of this article what true happiness really means.

WORLD DEFINITION OF HAPPINESS

We are all aware that even the most famous people who live on earth, even at the height of their success discovered that contentment and happiness cannot be counted on the quality of life they have, on the number of cars they possess, on the position they have, on the stature of being known by everybody, on the number of their deposits in the bank, and so on…….

We are misled by the notion that happiness can be gained by having it all in this world.

So day in and day out we work hard, burning our energy dreaming someday that we could rest and live a happy life. The thought is that happiness can be found in the abundance of the material but we forget to live our life the way they should be lived.

The world lures us to so many beautiful things that our eyes can see.

The picture that we perceive tells us that if we get all of these things, we will be happy.

This is what we call mental conditioning. Our minds respond to this condition.

HAPPINESS IN PARADOX

But Jesus’s teaching is contrary to what the world teaches when it comes to happiness.

HAPPINESS is finding satisfaction in everything that we do, in everything we achieve.

In Christ, happiness or the beatitude demands the CONVERSION of the HEART which can only come through the gift of the Holy Spirit.

How can we be really happy when we are in poverty, how can we smile when somebody is persecuting us, how can we be possibly happy when we lost someone when we are in mourning, hungry and thirsty?

Many will tell that it seems quietly paradoxical as what the world teaches about true happiness is, but those who learn this secret are those who truly enjoy this immeasurable blessing that comes from him alone.

CHRIST’S DEFINITION OF HAPPINESS

For God to be truly happy, we must develop the character that he requires.

That is the reason why there should be a conversion of heart. He wants us to be happy but we need a total and complete transformation of our inner self and everything will work automatically.

Once we work with our character and heart transformation, we will notice that happiness and joy become alive and comes naturally without noticing it.

What are those general virtuous that we need?

HOPE AND TRUST IN THE LORD

Happy are those who know they are spiritually poor, the Kingdom of heaven is upon them Mt 5:3

Christ in his sermon did not say that happy are you that you are poor instead he said happy are you that you are spiritually poor now. The Lord did not want us to be poor forever. But he specifically points out that if you recognized that you are poor now, and if you put your hope in the lord the kingdom of heaven is in you.

In Ps 1:1-2,3,4,6 Happy the man who has placed his trust in the LORD.

There is a future hope for those who trust in Him, it does not stop with things in this world but it is a hope for a future home. We may not find or experience rich abundance in this world but there is a promised kingdom that awaits us.

That is why 1 Cor 15:12 says that if our hope in Christ has been for this life only, we are the most pitiable of all people.

Jer 17:5-8 says that “Blessed is anyone who trusts in Yahweh, with Yahweh to rely on. Such a person is like a tree by the waterside that thrusts its roots to the stream, when the heat comes it has nothing to fear, its foliage stays green; untroubled in a year of drought, it never stops bearing fruits.

ATTRIBUTE OF HUMILITY

Happy are those who are humble, they will receive what God has promised-Mt 5:5

For God, for us to be blessed means we shall have a character of humility. Why?

His promise is like this; he will turn down the proud and will raise those who are humble.

Humility is one of the characteristics or attributes that God is looking for in a person. Once we possess these kinds of traits God is pleased and delighted in us.

Humility is considering yourself less and not bragging on the things you have but you count it blessings when you received something from the Lord.

PEACEMAKER

Happy are those who work for peace, God will call them His children-Mt 5:9

To be happy means we should have this desire to work for peace or be a peacemaker, not a trouble maker. Why the world is in chaos because we always want to put ourselves in trouble.

To be a peacemaker means making no offense to others, we respect the right of others. We promote goodwill. We embrace unity.

Peacemaker when the love that God has put in us overflow and we want to share it with others.

If we are peacemakers, God will consider us one of his children. Who is happy?… a legitimate or an illegitimate son? A slave or a son? It brings more joy to know if God considers us as one of his children, Why? Because a son is an heir of the kingdom. A son that deserves the right of a son.

If we are sons of God why worry about the things we need every day.

God shall supply my needs according to his riches in glory through Christ Jesus.-Phil 4:19

PURE IN HEART COUNTS HOLINESS

Happy are those who are pure in heart, they shall see God-Mt 5:8

Unless we become holy we cannot see God. Unless we have a pure heart then we cannot be considered holy.

Holiness comes when we are in constant awareness of the state of our heart keeping it free from any sin that corrupts itself.

Romans says, unless you are holy, you cannot see God.

INNER HUNGER FOR THE WORD OF GOD

Happy are you who are hungry now, you will be filled-Lk 6:21

Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.

Our body is created by God not only physically but also as a spiritual being. That is the reason why even we filled our bodies with all the lavish food we ate, clothes our bodies with expensive adornment, treat ourselves with glorious vacations we say it unless we feed our soul and spirit with the word of God that is the only time that we will attain great happiness because we are truly satisfied.

We are spiritual being whose spirits longs for the presence of God. Why? The Word of God is God itself. In John 1:8 before the world was created, the Word already existed; he was with God, and he was the same as God.

NOT AFFECTED BY PERSECUTION-ENDURANCE

Happy are those who are persecuted because they do what God requires; the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to them Mt 5:10

We have happiness when troubles and persecution do not affect us but rather we count it joy that we suffer with Christ.

We rather blessed those who don’t love us instead of cursing them.

EXERCISE RIGHTEOUSNESS

Happy are those whose greatest desire is to do what God requires; God will satisfy them fully- Mt 5:6

Righteousness is what counts for Abraham because of his faith to God he offered his son Isaac as a sacrifice as what God asked him to do.

As David says in his Psalm, If we delight ourselves in the Lord, God will give the desires of our heart.

To be righteous is to desire something good that can magnify God.

SORROWFUL FOR SINS COMMITTED-REPENTANCE

Happy are those who mourn, God will comfort them-Mt. 5: 4

When God says that happy are those who mourn does not literally means that better for you to mourn. But Christ knows that if you feel sorry for the sins you committed God will truly comfort us.

When we repent of our sins, we are in a state of deep sorry for we have hurt others, we have hurt God.

SHOW OF MERCY TO OTHERS

Happy are those who are merciful to others, God will be merciful to them- Mt. 5:7

May your happiness be full,

Mike Sendon