Happiness - Pt. 8

 

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:4-7 ESV).

 

Sadness is a daily struggle of many people. The world is full of suffering and hardship, and it can be difficult to find peace and happiness. As a result, people can become bitter about the adversity and struggles in their lives, and many blame God for their hardship and sorrow. The apostle Paul, however, had a different message to share. Though he was in prison and had gone through many hardships, he knew he could find joy in the Lord, his Creator and Savior. He wrote to the Philippians: “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!”

 

Joy in the Lord is not a trivial or fleeting emotion. Instead, it results from the deepest possible peace of knowing that your destiny is secure in God’s hands. As a result, a person can have deep and lasting joy in the Lord even during great suffering and pain.

 

Life is not intended to be a series of exhilarating amusements. We are not living in a theme park. Our fallen world presents us with struggles and dark valleys. Our journey is sometimes filled with challenges that seem insurmountable. But our happiness is not a superficial, fleeting emotion. Our joy does not depend on the circumstances in which we find ourselves.

 

As Paul puts it, our joy is in the Lord. In other words, Jesus is the source of our joy. He is the content of our happiness. Our happiness is not just in the absence of bad things or in the presence of good things. Our happiness is in Jesus, knowing that he loves and cares for us and is with us always—forever!