By Chris WittsFriday 6 Dec 2024Morning Devotions with Chris WittsFaithReading Time: 1 minute
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Transcript:
From stoic philosophers to 21st century scientists, experts across history have argued that happiness results from choices that we make each day. Now it sounds quite simple, doesn’t it? Do things that make you happy and you’ll be happy. But as we know from experience, life’s unexpected turns can often throw us off course in our pursuit of happiness.
In other words, although happiness is essentially a choice, choosing it might not be as easy as it sounds. Happiness is, and has always been, a topic of great interest among thinkers, dreamers, philosophers and scientists. Even people like you and me pursue happiness each day, even though we might not have an intellectual interest in the subject. We just know deep inside that we want to be happy.
Wired to seek happiness
After all, who wants to live a miserable life? Every person in the world is looking for something or someone to make them happy. But happiness most often eludes people. Ask 100 people what they want out of life, and I think 75 out of the 100 will say, I just want to be happy. Now ask that same 100 people what it means to be happy and 90 will say something about people, places or things. The answers would range from living in the right house to having the right job, being loved and appreciated to feeling financially secure. And some might have to do with having the right husband or wife or healthy children. We might even hear a few answers that have to do with fame and fortune or achieving our goals in life.
Mahatma Gandhi once said, happiness is when what you think, what you say and what you do are in harmony. Well, that makes sense to me. Apparently, Finland is the world’s happiest country. Finland’s website says the country’s happiness has to do with daily habits, a short walk in the forest, going ice swimming or tasting something fresh from nature. For many people, happiness is something that comes and goes, changes in the winds of circumstance. Now this is not very solid or assuring you can’t count on that. We become perfectionists waiting for that perfect moment only to never find it. Some people are only happy when they’re unhappy. If they have nothing to complain about, they don’t know what to do with themselves.
Many spend their entire lives waiting to be happy, to be in the perfect marriage, to lose weight, win the lottery or retire. Then they’ll be happy. Problem is, they never find it. A psychiatrist named Paul Mee wrote, I have had millionaire businessmen come to my office. They have big yachts, big houses, nice children, secure jobs and suicidal tendencies. They have everything that this world can offer except two things. Inner peace and joy. And they come to my office as a last resort, begging me to help them conquer the urge to kill themselves.
A Christian lady named Fanny Crosby wrote over 8000 hymns, including Blessed Assurance, Praise Him to God Be the Glory. She lost her sight when she was only six weeks old, but she lived into her nineties and composed thousands of these beloved hymns. On her 92nd birthday, she said very cheerfully, if in all the world you could find a happier person than I am, please bring them to me. I would like to shake their hand.
Perspective and happiness
Now, how could someone say that – who was blind all their life because she had learned something eternal from God that changed her life forever. We can go around each day of our life sad with a frown. Or we can go around each day happy with a smile, rejoicing, giving thanks to a loving God, a God that we can trust in. Well, that choice is ours.
It was Jesus who said in Matthew’s gospel seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness. And then all these things will be given to you. Matthew 6:33. So what things are they? One includes your own personal happiness. When you make God your number one love, he will provide your needs, including inner happiness. We’ll soon discover that happiness is an inside job.
It begins inside our hearts, and it’s that kind of happiness that Jesus came to give us. Pursuing God means we learn more about who He is. And as our love for Him grows, our happiness grows. It’s quite an amazing truth that many committed Christians would share with you. And even if everything goes wrong, they still have a deep sense of God’s peace and presence.
Let’s Pray
Heavenly Father, we have often thought about happiness, and we’ve read about it, we think about it, Lord, where do we find it? I know that deep down I can only find it in you – in a deep and true sense. May I go about today, Lord, not pursuing happiness but allowing God to bring his own special blessing. And His peace and happiness will be mine. And I know that. And I pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.