HAVING REAL AND LASTING HAPPINESS WITH THE LORD
The Lord Jesus Christ said to those who communed with him, “my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you” (John 14:27). He said to others: ”Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest…and you will find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:28-29). Those who have truly found the Lord and found real happiness for their souls can tell the good news to others: “Happy are the people whose God is the Lord” (Psalm 144:15; Mark 16:15-16).
THINGS OF THE WORLD HAVE PROVEN NOT GIVE REAL AND LASTING HAPPY.
Many people have worked hard to find real and lasting happiness in things of the world and have ended up disappointed. The media has reported on a number of people having fame, fortune and things of the world who committed suicide or died from drugs, alcohol and depression.
The Bible asks “Why spend money…and your labor on what does not satisfy? (Isaiah 55:2). The Bible would have people to know: everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever” (1 John 2:16-17).
If people would turn to the Bible, they might learned from a person who had it all and found out that only the Lord gives real and lasting happiness of the soul.
KING SOLOMON said he had great riches, superior knowledge, great honor and every pleasure of the world; but discovered things of the world, in the long run, do not lead to true happiness—satisfaction of the soul. He tells us that these things are all “meaningless, a chasing after the wind” – “vanity and vexation of spirits” (Ecclesiastes 2:1-11). He concluded: “blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord (Proverbs 16:20).
YOU CAN FIND REAL AND LASTING HAPPINESS EVEN IN SUFFERING FOR THE LORD.
STEPHEN, EARLY CHURCH DEACON, was martyred as he fearlessly proclaimed the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Stephen was stoned and dying, when he looked up into heaven and saw Jesus, and called out “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit” (Acts 7:54-59).
THE APOSTLE PAUL is an example of one who was poor, persecuted and suffered a lot in life (Corinthians 11:16-33). But he said, “for me to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21).
WE WERE CREATED TO HAVE REAL AND LASTING HAPPINESS ONLY IN JESUS CHRIST.
We were made by and for the Lord Jesus Christ. We were not made to be truly happy in any other way than in Jesus— no more than a square peg was made to fit in a round hole. (John 1:1-3; Colossians 1:16).
The soul cannot be fully satisfied with things of the world. At some point in your search for happiness, your soul will make you aware that it is not satisfied by the things of the world. Feeding the soul with things of the world is like trying to satisfy an addiction. A worldly addiction craves for more and more, but is never completely satisfied. The soul can only be satisfied by Jesus Christ.
JESUS PROMISES: My peace I give to you not as the world gives (John 14:27). (John 6:3). Come unto me all you who labor and I will give you rest for your souls (Matthew 11:28-29). I have come that you might have life more abundantly (John 10:10). Whoever drinks of the water I give him will never thirst again (John 4:4). And whoever believes in me as the scripture has said, streams of living water shall flow from within him–By this Jesus meant the Holy Spirit that believers would receive from the Lord (John 7:38-39).
THE HOLY SPIRIT INDWELLS BELIEVERS IN JESUS. When we seek the Lord with all our heart, we find true soul’s happiness (Jeremiah 29:13). The Holy Spirit, which the Lord gives to us as earnest seekers, makes us living temples for God to dwell in (1 Corinthians 3:16). The Spirit conforms us, in whom he dwells, into the image of the Lord. Our primary desire grows increasingly to please God as the Lord did. (Romans 8:29; John 8:29). Many of our desires for earthly things progressively diminishes, as we deny self and increasing desire to please God. When indwelt by the Holy Spirit whom the Lord gave us, we can have happiness in our soul even when denying ourselves and carrying our cross to follow the Lord Luke 9:23).
Finally, we will have eternal happiness when our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ comes again to take us to live in the heavenly place he has prepared for us to live with God (John 14:2-3).
