by Rev. Bobby Schuller
"Bring joy to your servant, for to you, O Lord, I lift up my soul." -Psalm 86:4, NIV
There are two words that sound like happiness. One that's most common is the word joy. The word joy comes from a Greek word, "chara," which is similar to "charis," which means grace. According to Dallas Willard, "Joy is a pervasive sense of wellbeing."
Happiness is a little different. Happiness means living the good life. Happiness, in the words of Aristotle, means "human flourishing." St. Irenaeus, who was a church father, said, "The glory of God is man fully alive." This is what real happiness means.
Many of us, when we hear the word happiness, think pleasure. We think it's circumstantial. We think that if we do well in our jobs, or make money, or if our relationships are good, we'll be happy persons. Though there may be moments of pleasure and happiness in the midst of that, happiness is actually a good life - a life that follows Christ and is how Christ taught us to live.
So, happiness is the flourishing of the human soul - a life that glows, that is truly living! That's happiness! And this happiness that is offered by God is available to all of us if we would simply realize that the kingdom of the heavens, that the teachings of Christ and His presence are available at all times.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, you are my source of joy and happiness. I am your servant. To you, I lift up my soul. Amen.
Reflection: What joy-filled and happy ways have you found to stay connected to a positive faith in your loving Savior? -Hour of Power
No comments:
Post a Comment