The last week or so I have been reading things that talk about happiness. Just this morning there was a story on Facebook, I have seen a few times before, about a woman who said she decided each morning to be happy. The memories of her life were like deposits of golden joy that she withdrew from her account in her later years. She had six rules to happiness:
“1. Free your heart from hatred.
2. Free your mind from worries.
3. Live simply.
4. Give more.
5. Expect less,
6. And enjoy every moment.”
Max Lucado has just come out with a new book, How Happiness Happens. I haven’t started to read it yet but I am involved in taking his seven day happiness challenge. Each day, he encourages us to find someone – friend or foe – and give happiness away. Not just to the deserving and kind but to the aggravating and cynical. It is a challenge! This is day four.
To me, happiness is different from joy but they are related. Joy, which is a gift of the Spirit, is planted in our hearts and grows as we do. Joy grows in difficult situations. It keeps us focused and in control. Joy is a stabilizing factor that gets us through the rough times.
“Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. 2 Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.
3 We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. 4 And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. 5 And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.” Romans 5:1-5 NLV
Troubles don’t come from God but they can be used by Him if we keep our focus on the Father and not the problem. When cast our care (trouble) over on the Lord he takes it and works it out. We need to be patient in the process knowing that He hasn’t forgotten us but is working on our behalf. That’s what produces the hope we have and when we hope in Him we will never be disappointed.
“Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. 3 For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 4 So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.
5 If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. 6 But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind.” James 1:2-8 NLV
Happiness is an outgrow of joy. Think of it this way. Joy is a tree and happiness is the fruit. The tree needs sunshine and rain; it faces the elements, the daily hardships but it endures. And from the endurance it gathers nutrients that help produce the fruit – the fruit of happiness.
We can then take that happiness that has grown on the tree of joy and share it with others. God loves us and is working in our lives and on our circumstances. We can be joyful as we wait to see how He is working things out for us and then we can pick that fruit, happiness, and use it to bless others.
Grow happiness!