The Cracked Pot by Ginger Exum
Happiness
“Think in terms of bridges burned. Think of seasons that must end. See the rivers rise and fall; They will rise and fall again. Everything must have an end like an ocean to a shore; like a river to a stream” … The Famous Final Scene by Bob Seger
We all have those moments of pure bliss that floods us with happiness. We think we will always feel that way, but we don’t. Emotions flow and mix within us, creating those streams, rivers and oceans within our soul. That’s life and we all experience good and bad times. But the world out there today says you need to be happy; that’s what life is all about, after all. Do whatever makes you happy.
Webster’s Dictionary defines happy as being ‘favored by luck; enjoying or characterized by well-being and contentment; glad or pleased; happiness is a state of well-being and contentment; a pleasurable or satisfying experience.
Don’t like your job? … Find another. Not happy in your marriage? … Find somebody else. Don’t like the house you live in, the car you drive or just want material possessions? … Go in debt and buy whatever makes you happy. … Don’t want a child? End their life so you can have control of your own body. … Don’t like who you are? Be who or what you want to be.
Happiness is a fleeting emotion. But we can have a true happiness, and it has nothing to do with this world at all. Happiness is found when we ground ourself with who we are in Christ and our relationship with God.
In the Christian Standard Bible, the word ‘happy’ occurs 46 times. The word ‘happiness’ occurs 5 times. None of them have to do with human relationships, careers, where you live, or how much money or possessions you have. Actually, none of them even occur in the New Testament.
Genesis 30:13 and Psalm 127:5 speaks of happiness to be found in their children. The people and nation of Israel were happy in the Lord as spoken in Deuteronomy 33:29, Psalm 33:12, Psalm 65:4, 1 Kings 8:66 and 2 Chronicles 7:10.
Trusting in the Lord and finding refuge in Him brings happiness. (Psalm 2:12, Psalm 84:12, Psalm 34:8, Psalm 40:4, Psalm 84:4-5, Psalm 1:1, Psalm 89:15
Happiness is found in obeying, listening, and wisdom to the instructions of the Lord. (Psalm 2:12, Psalm 119:1-2, Psalm 144:15, Proverbs 8:34, Proverbs 16:20; 1 King 10:8; 2 Chronicles 9:7; Job 5:17; Psalm 94:12; Psalm 112:1; Proverbs 3:13; Proverbs 29:18; Haggai 1:6; Job 36:11; and Proverbs 3:13)
Having compassion and mercy brings happiness to us and the Lord. (Psalm 41:1; Proverbs 14:21; Proverbs 28:14; Isaiah 30:18; and Jeremiah 31:13)
Those who uphold justice, practice righteousness and find hope in God will be happy. (Psalm 106:3; Psalm 128:1-2; Proverbs 8:32; Proverbs 20:7; Isaiah 32:20; Isaiah 56:2, Daniel 12:12; and Psalm 146:5)
Being happy is a flowing emotion. It comes from a specific source that flows into the rivers of our soul, mixing with other streams into an ocean of emotions an memories. But happiness, true happiness, is not happiness at all. True happiness is being content in all things. It’s about finding who we are in Christ and our relationship with Him. Paul said in Philippians 4:11, “I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I find myself”. That didn’t mean he was always happy. Paul went through trials upon trials. He was shipwrecked on the isle of Malta. He was beaten, flogged and even stoned on one occasion. He was in jail constantly. He was finally sent to Rome to be ultimately executed. How could he be so content in all these things?
Because his happiness came from the Lord in the passages above. Paul found refuge in Christ when He obeyed Jesus on the road to Damascus. He turned from persecuting followers of The Way to being one among them, putting his faith in the One who died for us all. He found refuge in his faith while in prison. He obeyed the teachings and words of Jesus. He was compassionate and merciful even to his Roman guards. He found the righteousness for which he had craved all his life in His faith in Jesus alone. While happiness was found in each little stream, it produced a river of happiness that turned into a sea of true contentment.
The question is whether we are pursuing happiness or are we aiming for contentment? Happiness comes and goes just as the waves wash upon the shore. But those waves came become stormy and turbulent. It is the troubles of life’s stormy sea that determine if we have learned to become content through Jesus; to keep sailing on knowing God is with us. Or do you turn back toward the shore pursuing a dream of what we think our happiness should be?
