Happiness - Pt. 2

 

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:5-10 ESV).

 

The first step in learning to be happy is to understand who we are and why we are here. Maybe you have asked or heard these questions before. These are philosophical questions that have kept some of the brightest people busy. The Bible teaches that we are created by God and made in his image. “We are God’s handiwork,” and he sent Jesus to redeem and renew us so that we can have eternal life with him. God renews us so that we can do good, and this is our purpose in life. With the new life that God makes possible for us in Christ, we seek to live God’s way and to do good so that we can show others the way to know God.

 

We find true happiness in being created by God for an extraordinary purpose. We are not a adrift in the sea of life, floating aimlessly through the ocean. We are not like a loose leaf carried by the wind. Life has a truly meaningful purpose. We are created by God to have full life with God and to shine the light of his love to others. God is the source and the destiny of our life.

 

The very meaning of eternal life is to know God and his Son, Jesus Christ, through the life-giving work of his Holy Spirit. This creates value in who we are and why we are here. Through God’s grace we are chosen for this wonderful purpose of helping others to recognize their calling into eternal life. That’s the beginning of our greatest and most complete happiness.