Written by Pastor Jack Wellman– Henry Beecher
Happiness in Family
First of all, let me distinguish between happiness and joy. Happiness is based upon happenings and is not permanent, unlike joy which is our strength from the Lord (Neh. 8:10). This joy is permanent and is not based upon circumstances but remains even amidst sorrow and pain. Anyway, I wanted to clear that up first before I focused on extracting happiness from or finding it in common things. There’s nothing wrong with happiness, but we have to realize that the things of this earth will be gone someday. One thing I find great happiness and joy in is my family. Is there anything that makes us happier than our spouse, our children, our grandchildren, our parents, and all the rest of our family?
Happiness in Church Family
We often have such a fun time in fellowship at church, and that’s one thing that I do get a lot of happiness from, although it is actually closer to joy than happiness. I feel so contented in the company of the saints. There are fewer things that are more rewarding than worshiping God together, lifting our voices in praise to God, and the Spirit’s working in us by the gifts of the Spirit like “love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and gentleness” (Gal. 5:22-23), which you can see so vividly displayed within the Body of Christ, the church, and which is so absent in the world.
Happiness in Work
This sounds very hard for many and a strange concept to the world that we can find happiness in our work, but I do find it there. I have to admit that sometimes I’m happy when I can take a day of rest on Sunday. For me, that happens to be a workday of sorts, but it’s a work that is full of purpose. So if you can find happiness at work, then you will more than likely find satisfaction in a job well done.
Happiness in Gratitude
When I look around the world, I see just how much others don’t have and just how much I do have. I am quite happy in giving thanks to God for the very many blessings that He has generously bestowed upon me. I didn’t deserve them or deserve to be born in a nation that has so much compared to the rest of the world, so that is all the more reason that I should be thankful to God–you could call it happy–for all the wonderful blessings that I’ve been given. What about you?
Happiness in His Word
Anytime you read the word “blessed” in the Old Testament, it is the Hebrew word “’esher” and means “happiness” or “blessedness.” So being blessed is being happy. Do a word study on the word “bless” or “blessing” and you can see how easy it is to substitute the word “happy” for blessed or maybe even joy like in Psalm 127:5a, which says, “Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them!” A better translation from the New Living Translation is even better: “How joyful is the man whose quiver is full of them!” I like that.
Conclusion
Happiness, blessings, or joy–whatever you wish to express it as–is found in the Lord, in family, in His Word, in the church, in work, and it is really a state of mind. To be happy, joyful, or feel blessed is a choice of the will, and it lies in the power of extracting happiness from common things and from God Himself.
