The “Happy” Myth
Text: Psalm 37:4
13 And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves. —John 17:13 (KJV - King James Version)
How many people today want to be HAPPY?
What do you think it will take to make you happy?
We need to quit trying to
Have you ever been around someone who is just HAPPY all the time?
Happiness is something the
We say things to each other like, I just want you to be happy.
3 Trust in the LORD and do good; Live in the land and cultivate faithfulness.
4 Delight yourself in the LORD; And He will give you the desires of your heart.
5 Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, and He will do it.
6 He will bring out your righteousness as the light, And your judgment as the noonday.
7 Rest in the LORD and wait patiently for Him; Do not get upset because of one who is successful in his way, Because of the person who carries out wicked schemes. —Psalms 37:3-7 (NASB - New American Standard Bible)
Oswald Chambers famously wrote, “We are not destined to happiness…but to holiness.”
What is the first thing that comes to your mind when I say the word “HOLINESS“?
13 Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 14 As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: 15 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; 16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy. —1 Peter 1:13-16
Holiness is simply this..the state of purity of mind and consecration of heart to be like
For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness. —1 Thessalonians 4:7
Truth Bomb:
Is happiness something that should be separated from holiness?
Is it possible to be holy and not happy?
IF YOU CHASE
IF YOU CHASE
In a letter to Rev. Dr. Middleton, John Wesley wrote that “Christianity is…holiness and happiness, the image of God impressed on a created spirit; a fountain of peace and love springing up into everlasting life.”
God never intended there to be a separation between holiness and happiness.
John Wesley also said…Every Christian is happy; and he who is not happy is not a Christian.
God created us to be happy; satisfaction in God is evidence that we have abandoned our false idols, and the extremely cheap and disapointing substitutes, for the true source of happiness.
The way to be truly happy is to be truly human, and the way to be truly human is to be truly godly. —J.I. Packer
CHASING HOLINESS
When we
- The Bible says, “Delight yourself in the Lord” (Psalm 37:4).
- The Bible says, “Be glad in the Lord” (Psalm 32:11).
- The Bible says, “Rejoice in the Lord” (Philippians 3:1).
- The Bible says, “Rejoice always” (1 Thessalonians 5:16).
- The Bible says to do your “acts of mercy with cheerfulness” (Romans 12:8).
- The Bible says, “Serve the Lord with gladness” (Psalm 100:2).
So one of the first habits we will find in Holy Happy People is
Proverbs 16:20 He who heeds the word wisely will find good, and whoever trusts in the LORD, happy is he.
John 15:11 These things have I spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.
Psalm 144:15 Happy are the people whose God is the LORD!
The world looks for happiness through self-assertion. The Christian knows that joy is found in self-abandonment. “If a man will let himself be lost for My sake,” Jesus said, “he will find his true self.” —Elisabeth Elliot
Yes, it is definitely possible to be HOLY and
The thing is, you won’t find it the way the world tells you to find it - because the Kingdom of God works differently.
You have to
Here is a secret, The Habit of Seeking to Please God is only found in HOLY AND HAPPY PEOPLE!
We find that in seeking to please God - He gives us the desires of our hearts - more than we could have ever even imagined.
That’s where this verse from our text shines so brightly - Delight Yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.
He washes away your sins when you are baptized in His Name - the Name of Jesus Christ,
and He fills you with His Spirit - the precious GIFT of the Holy Ghost.
And this is what Paul told the church in Rome…
Romans 14:17 For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.
And Peter writes in…
1 Peter 1:8-9 Whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls.
We should truly be the most HAPPY people on the planet!
It starts with simple OBEDIENCE to the Word of God - Acts 5:32 (He gives His Spirit to those who OBEY Him).
If you have been disobedient to God’s Word - Start Afresh today.
Let Him Make all things New in your life.
You will probably end up being one of those HOLY & HAPPY People!