Happiness: an elusive journey, or an achievable pursuit?

The psalmist cried,

Restore to me the joy of your salvation and uphold me with a willing spirit (Psalm 51:12).

When is it you or I have said that prayer? So, often we grudgingly struggle through the monotony of life spiritually humming and hawing from one day to the next, dragging ourselves out of bed to go to church to listen to yet another “boring” sermon, hopeful beyond hope that the Holy Spirit will just swoop down and engulf us with another Pentecost, so we can get on with the joy of our salvation. Then when it doesn’t come, the pastor or the congregants are blamed for the frosty atmosphere we feel each Sunday.

To make matters even worst, in this day of personality cults that pretty much guide the average Christian’s church preference, we start church hopping. That works for a while, then boredom sets in, and away we go again. As a result the average church is more like a turnstile than a sanctuary of peace and comfort.

Well if this scenario fits you, and you really want to seek a remedy and get to the core of the problem my suggestion is that it is best to start from the beginning, and pledge with the of the psalmist who in another psalm affirmed,

My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise… (Psalm 57:7-11).

Give praises for what? For our salvation as a starter. For His wonderful gift of the Holy Spirit for another. For His daily encouragement along the way to sanctify us, for yet another reason.

This is not a novel concept, either. Isaiah declared,

I will rejoice greatly in the LORD, my soul will exult in my God; for He has clothed me with garments of salvation and wrapped me in a robe of righteousness, as a groom wears a priestly headdress, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels (Isaiah 61:10).

Notice Isaiah said,

“I will rejoice” … not just a little, but “greatly in the LORD!”

Why is that, we may ask? The answer is:

“For He has clothed me with garments of salvation and wrapped me in a robe of righteousness, as a groom wears a priestly headdress, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.”

Now, if that is not enough to make us shout, “Hallelujah! Praise the LORD, O my soul (Psalm 146:1)” then nothing ever will!

Happiness is a matter of the mind. An attitude. A positive and willful appreciation. An anticipation to be sought after. Something that we all must cultivate. A resolve of the soul. Happiness is not hocus pocus, it is willed in and through trust. Happiness is ours if we are determined to pursue it. And, believe me, happiness is more than a smile, or a friendly feel good nod to cheer someone else up. Happiness in the long run is nothing more or less than contentment in every situation, good or bad (Romans 8: 28). It is in short to accept whatever comes your way with confidence, not in yourself, but in God.

I trust that this will give you enough thought to carry you through the week and the days that follow.

Take care, and remember He cares for you!

 JimR_/