“Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:”–1 Peter 1:8
What does it mean to be happy?
Dennis Wholey, author of a book called Are You Happy?, reports that according to experts, only about 20% of Americans today are happy. One psychiatrist, Thomas Szasz, even went so far as to say, “Happiness is an imaginary condition, formerly attributed by the living to the dead, now usually attributed by adults to children and by children to adults.”
To really understand the key to finding happiness, it’s important to first understand what it is. Looking at the biblical use of the word, we find ‘happy’ is most often used to describe a state of being emotionally satisfied with one’s circumstances. The problem, however, comes when those circumstances change.
This is why lasting happiness eludes almost everyone… because it’s based upon our circumstances, which can change in a moment. But there is a biblical attitude that, when we have it, will keep us emotionally satisfied even when circumstances change – it’s called ‘joy’.
The key to lasting happiness is to let God’s Spirit express joy through you that’s not based on your current situation. Instead of looking for your circumstances to satisfy you, look to God to give you His inexpressible joy in all circumstances! (Senior Living)
