Bella Vista Church of Christ
LIFELINES
October 3, 2001 Randall Caselman
A Formula For Happiness
I suppose that there has never been any people as well equipped for happiness as we in America today, so why is there so much unhappiness? There is an interesting verse in Malachi. It says,
I will send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings... Because you have not set your heart to honor me. Malachi 2:2. This verse was written to those who had returned from exile, rebuilt the temple, the city walls and restored Jerusalem. They had a great potential for happiness. Is it possible that we are living out Malachi 2:2? What do we need to bring genuine happiness into our lives today? I think we need to stop focusing on things, and pay more attention to relationships.
For instance...
We must see ourselves as we really are.
No man ever sees himself in the proper light until he sees God. Moses was confronted by God and immediately felt his inadequacies. Gideon was visited by God and we hear him say, No, I cannot. I am the least, the weakest in all Israel. Isaiah encounters God and falls to his knees saying, Woe is me. The apostles on the Sea of Galilee witnessed Jesus control the wind and the waves. Fear gripped their souls and they asked, What manner of man is this? Saul fell on his face in the brightness of His presence inquiring, Who art thou? When he understood who was in the light, the second question was the only one that could be asked, What do you want me to do? Happiness is understanding who and what we are.
We must do as God asked.
I believe most of our unhappiness today is because we know to do right and don’t. We shrink back from our responsibilities as a parent spouse, employee, employer etc. Even at church we are not the elder, deacon, teacher, student, preacher, example, disciple we know we ought to be. Some are unhappy because they know they need to forgive another and will not, share Jesus with their neighbor and have not, study more, pray more, have purer thoughts, become more like Jesus. For most of us, happiness is not knowing more about God and His will for us, but becoming the individual that we know He wants us to be. Happiness is a right relationship with God.
We must see and serve the Jesus in others.
What is our passion? Jesus’ passion was serving others. He was a servant. He came to seek and save the lost, to call sinners to repentance, to do the will of the Father and to serve and not be served. Look back over His agenda and note that each statement was one of serving others. Being God in the flesh, do you think Jesus knew how to be happy? Of course He did! Do you think Jesus was happy? Sure He was. What made Jesus happy? I believe genuine happiness is being like Him... Going about doing good, serving others. Scripture tells us that even though He was on equality with God, He did not count that position something to be held on to, but became a servant. Are we willing to forsake our pride and position to be happy? This is a question we preachers, elders, company vice-presidents and people in the pew need to ask and answer honestly.
A lot of unhappiness in our world today is the result of our own self-centeredness. Take time this week to be like Jesus, visit the sick, take food to a shut-in, stop by the nursing home, volunteer to teach a class at church, hold a baby, lift up the fallen, help the poor, volunteer at the hospital, witness to the lost, encourage someone who has not been to worship lately.
BE HAPPY!!
Randall Caselman
