Happy in Jesus?
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Transcript
Introduction
How many people do you suppose want to be happy? It’s a fair question because not everyone, in my experience, wants to be happy. We’ve all met people who aren’t happy unless they are miserable and have something to complain about.
Assuming that most people actually want to be happy, how many people actually are happy enough to describe themselves as happy? How many people would describe themselves as “very happy”?
On the last point, we have an answer. A recent Wall Street Journal-NORC poll found that only about 12% of Americans describe themselves as very happy.
America’s happiest people have a few traits in common: They value community and close personal relationships. They tend to believe in God. And they generally are older, often in their retirement years.
And, more often than not, they are female.
Turns out, church-going, Jesus-loving moms and grandmoms are some of the happiest people in America. Does that surprise you? Maybe if you’ve met their antithesis it does, but that is what the research show.
And, most importantly, what can we learn that they have learned that led to them being very happy?
Transition
Fortunately, there is a book in the Bible filled with practical wisdom that offers a few brief statements in response.
Illumination
Wisdom and Understanding, Proverbes 3:13
Wisdom and Understanding, Proverbes 3:13
13 Happy is the man who finds wisdom,
And the man who gains understanding;
First of all, please note that Solomon the Wise is not Solomon the woke. He uses the word “man” in the most universal and generic—not to mention biblical—way. It refers to species—man—not gender.
27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
That aside, Solomon the Wise states the happiness is the result of finding wisdom and gaining understanding.
Finding & Gaining
something that is lost or misplaced
finding a subject in a location
discovering something
Securing what you have found
Wisdom & understanding
technical skills or special abilities
in this case, the skills and abilities to live life
where do you find or discover them? This verse doesn’t say, it just says you’ll be happy when you find them.
Mercy on the Poor, Proverbs 14:21
Mercy on the Poor, Proverbs 14:21
21 He who despises his neighbor sins;
But he who has mercy on the poor, happy is he.
Most people intuitively think that happiness results from self-focused activities designed to increase personal pleasure or well-being.
There is definitely a time and place for self-focused activities and some of those are far better for us than others (personal reflection and personal betterment are certainly better than personal indulgence).
Solomon the Wise states that happiness comes when we focus on others.
having mercy is actively being gracious (giving someone what they don’t deserve) or considerate (giving your time and attention).
poor people are those unable to repay the gifts given.
This focus is not on extending mercy to those who will repay but on those who will never repay. The repayment we receive bubbles up from within and results in happiness. Moms are aces at this!
Heed the word, Proverbs 16.20
Heed the word, Proverbs 16.20
20 He who heeds the word wisely will find good,
And whoever trusts in the Lord, happy is he.
This answers the earlier question of where to find wisdom: we find it in God’s revelation.
happiness flows from trusting the wisdom found. Not just believing it, though that is a start, but trusting it enough to build life on and around it.
Always reverent, Proverbs 28:14
Always reverent, Proverbs 28:14
14 Happy is the man who is always reverent,
But he who hardens his heart will fall into calamity.
Reverent means fearing the Lord. But Solomon the Wise employs a poetical tool of contrast to teach us what that looks like. It is the opposite of hard-hearted. It is not how we necessarily think of fear, but a fear of the Lord leaves us with a tender heart readily affected by the Lord and by others.
Conclusion
Happy Moms and Grandmoms have learned these truths. The good news is that these principles can be adopted by anyone.