| God Wants Me Happy! |
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| Written by Khimani A. Williams | ||||||
| Sunday, 06 September 2009 | ||||||
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Are
you a happy person? Yes? No? Whatever you answer is, can you define
happiness? Happiness, as defined by the Oxford Concise English
Dictionary is “Feeling or showing pleasure or contentment.” So how are
you feeling? Are you satisfied with your life and the way you live? Are
you convinced that God wants you happy?
In an unpredictable world things happen that we are quite unprepared for or unaware of. Sometimes we make decisions that at the time seem so perfect, but as time goes by we want a way out of it. A man pursues a woman with all his heart and a while after he marries her he becomes needy for another, because his once beautiful wife is no longer a beauty, and beauty is what he desires. He is convinced that the best way is out, making as his banner the all too familiar excuse, “God wants me happy!” But how does God wants us to be? As His creation God wants us to reflect Him, doing the things He commands us to do. If we trust the way we feel it is likely that we will end up doing things contrary to His will. To the man who wants a prettier wife God’s Word is, “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the Church, and gave Himself for it.” [Ephesians 5:25]. Jesus died for the Church when we were ugly in sin, lacking beauty and love. We were sinful, but Jesus died for us. [Romans 5:8]. The challenge for the husband is to love his wife in spite of. “May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth. A loving doe, a graceful deer—may her breasts satisfy you always, may you ever be captivated by her love.” [Proverbs 5:18 – 19]. We cannot trust out feeling; it is unwise to use it as a compass to guide us through the clutter and haziness of life. If the husband lives for his happiness alone, he might divorce his wife for a ‘better’ one. And a new wife might make him happy (feel good), but he will only arouse the jealousy of God Almighty. He might be happy, but God would not be happy with him. It is all a matter of perspective. Feelings are for the here and now. If a man hears at work that he is entitled to a 50 % pay raise, he would be happy. But if he goes home that same day and his house if on fire he would become distraught. When Jesus was about to be arrested and eventually crucified, He prayed, “O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me…” He felt like He should be looking for the way out, but He refused to be ruled by His feelings. But He continued, “…nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.” [St. Matthew 26:39]. We have to live our lives with a purpose and find pleasure in fulfilling that purpose. As God’s creation He wants us happy in Him. We should find pleasure in honouring Him. Jesus could be ‘happy’ by saving His own life, but “…He endured the cross, scorning its shame” because He was focused on the joy ahead. [Hebrews 12:2]. And He found strength in that joy, our salvation. So like our Lord we must remain focused on our purpose: Love your family, friends and enemies, and do the will of the Father. Find happiness in these things. Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy. James 5:11 Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth: therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty: For He maketh sore, and bindeth up: he woundeth, and His hands make whole. Job 5:17 - 18
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