Don’t Worry, Be Happy

Published in God's Message Magazine (Pasugo), Feb 2007

LIFE NOWADAYS is full of problems, hardships, and difficulties. Many people today cannot fully satisfy their basic needs, as many are not properly fed, clothed, sheltered, and educated. Though they aspire for things that could give them a sense of security and contentment, such as what is commonly considered as the “good things in life,” not many enjoy such things.

This failure to live a worry-free life has brought much frustration and unhappiness to many. Hence, the pursuit of happiness remains to be the focus of many people in their lives. The Declaration of Independence of the United States (July 4, 1776) qualifies “the pursuit of happiness” as one of the “unalienable rights” of people.

In our time, scholars who are seeking to understand happiness more, and finding ways to lift its level, have been searching on this problem: What makes people happy? Sifting through their data (for their study in 2002), psychologists Diener and Seligman of the University of Illinois “found that the most salient charactereristics shared by the 10% of students with the highest levels of happiness and the fewest signs of depression were their strong ties to friends and family, and commitment to spending time with them” (Claudia Wallis, “The New Science of Happiness,” Time, February 28, 2005, p. 33).

Other data unearthed by positive psychologists show that “performing acts of altruism or kindness … connecting with other people seems to be the most fundamental finding from the science of happiness” (Ibid., p. 36).

Furthermore, on the question, “Does wealth make people happy?” research has shown that “once your basic needs are met, additional income does little to raise your sense of satisfaction with life. … neither education nor, for that matter, a high IQ paves the road to happiness” (Ibid., p. 33), Research further shows that “there is much more to happiness than financial security” (Gregg Easterbook, “The Real Truth About Money,” Ibid., p. 41).

There are also studies on the planet’s happiest peoples done by other researchers. Interestingly, many poor countries ranked high in ratings. Dyland Evans, author of the book Emotion: The Science of Sentiment, concluded that “money doesn’t guarantee happiness” (Ibid.). In relation to this, author Gregg Easterbook quips, “we often gives us more social anxiety than satisfaction” (Ibid., p. 40).

Based on these researches, there are other steps to raising one’s level of happiness prescribed by scholars but these cannot guarantee a permanent one. What then will?

The happiness of
God’s people: a desired state
There is a state of happiness that God teaches and offers through the Bible. This is what His people desire to attain even though they are in the midst of suffering. The Psalmist articulates:

“Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.” (Ps. 37:4, New King James Version)

The Bible teaches a desire state of happiness – to delight in the Lord – that is different from what is commonly known by the people of this world. Those who fulfill this will “rejoice in the Lord,” for they have received a blessing far greater than the things of this world:

“I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, My soul shall be joyful in my God; For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, …” (Isa. 61:10, Ibid.)

The people who can truly find delight in the Lord are those who have been clothed “with the garments of salvation” or have been promised with salvation. In the Christian Era, those who have been “clothed with the garments of salvation” are the ones who “were baptized into Christ [and] have put on Christ” (Gal. 3:27, Ibid.). They “were all baptized into one body” (I Cor. 12:13, Ibid.) which is the Church that belongs to and is headed by Christ (Col. 1:18).

The proof that those who were brought into this Church have been clothed with salvation was declared by Apostle Paul:

“For a husband has authority over his wife just as Christ has authority over the church; and Christ is himself the Savior of the church, his body.” (Eph. 5:23, Today’s English Version)

This Church which Christ will save is the Church of Christ He redeemed with His precious blood:

“Take heed therefore to yourselves and to all the flock over which the Holy Spirit has appointed you overseers, to feed the church of Christ which he has purchased with his blood.: (Acts 20:28, Lamsa Translation)

Because of the promised salvation, members of the true Church of Christ can truly rejoice in the Lord even in the midst of troubles and difficulties in this world. Furthermore, trials and persecution do not cause them to despair because they rightly view such experience as “sharing Christ’s sufferings,” and they will “be full of joy when his [Christ’s] glory is revealed” on His Second Advent (I Pet. 4:13, TEV). For this, Apostle Peter exhorts them:

“Happy are you if you are insulted because you are Christ’s followers; this means that the glorious Spirit, the Spirit of God, is resting on you. … if you suffer because you are a Christian, don’t be ashamed of it, but thank God that you bear Christ’s name.” (I Pet. 4:14, 16, Ibid.)

Facing anxities
While the true people of God also have their material needs in this world where economic problems are numerous and become more sever, they are not anxious about them. Instead, they always work hard and are being guided by Christ’s admonition:

“Don’t worry and ask yourselves, ‘Will we have anything to eat? Will we have anything to drink? Will we have any clothes to wear?’ Only people who don’t know God are always worrying about such things. Your Father in heaven knows that you need all of these.” (Matt. 6:31-32, Contemporary English Version)

Thus, members of the true Church should not worry even though there may be times when they lack some of the things they need in this life, because they can expect God and the Lord Jesus Christ (John 16:24) to help them with the good things that they need in this life. As God’s servants, they believe that God will never forsake His people. King David, who himself experienced and had observed the manifestations of God’s loving-kindness, attested:

“I have been young, and now am old; Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, Nor his descendants begging bread.” (Ps. 37:25, NKJV)

Thus, instead of worrying in the face of hardship, the true servants of God ought to have confidence and hope when it is their turn to be in trouble:

“Now it’s your turn to be in trouble, and you are too stunned to face it. You worshipped God, and your life was blameless; and so you should have confidence and hope. Think back now. Name a single case where a righteous man met with disaster.” (Job 4:5-7, TEV)

God’s people know that it is inevitable for them to experience great difficulties in this life but as long as they live righteously He will never forsake them.

Finding joy in obedience
God’s people find joy in fulfilling His commandments:

“I am unimportant and despised, but I do not neglect your teachings.

“I am filled with trouble and anxiety, but your commandments bring me joy.” (Ps. 119:141, 143, TEV)

The faithful consider as their top priority obeying God’s commandments, happen what may. They know that in obedience, they would also have the love of God and Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ inspires them:

“If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. … that My joy may remain in you, and that our joy may be full.” (John 15:10-11, NKJV)

To love and to be loved by God and Christ is the greatest source of happiness. Hence, for true Christians, no problem is too big for a solution. After all, God’s love and power are much greater than all the combined problems in this life. Moreover, they have the Holy Spirit to comfort them, as promised by Christ:

“I will not leave you bereaved, I come unto you;

“And I will ask the Father, and another Comforter He will give to you, that he may remain with you – to the age; the Spirit of truth, whom the world is not able to receive …” (John 14:18, 16-17, Young’s Literal Translation)

Furthermore, God’s people do not seek comfort in worldly pleasure, because they know the “the world is passing away” (I John 2:17, NKJV – it will end soon and those who do evil will be destroyed (II Pet. 3:7-10). However, “he who does the will of God abides forever” (I John 2:17, NKJV).

Hence, them members of the true Church ought to value most the great love that our God and our Lord Jesus Christ gave them and never exchange this for anything or anyone in this world. Such love is a “perfect” one as qualified by Apostle John (I John 4:17).

Towards eternal happiness
Moreover, the Lord Jesus Christ promised eternal happiness to the members of His Church:

“I am telling you the truth: you will cry and weep, but the world will be glad; you will be sad, but your sadness will turn to gladness.

“.. Now you are sad, but I will see you again, and your hearts will be filled with gladness, the kind of gladness that no one can take away from you.” (John 16:20, 22, TEV)

Where will this eternal happiness be experienced by God’s faithful servants, among whom are the true members of the Church of Christ today? God declares through the Bible:

“For behold, I create new heavens and new earth; And the former shall not be remembered or come to mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create; For behold, I create Jerusalem as rejoicing, And her people a joy. I will rejoice in Jerusalem, And joy in My people; The voice of weeping shall no longer be heard in her, Nor the voice of crying.” (Isa. 65:17-19, NKJV)

Life in the new heaven and new earth is eternal and blissful – there will be no more sorrows there (Rev. 21:1-4). It is one that all of us must seek to attain. And because the hope of God’s people is anchored not on empty words but on the promise of the Almighty God, they, therefore, seek joy in His reassuring words while living in this world and looking forward to the attainment of eternal happiness.