Happy in God

1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18 Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. (NIV)

 

The Bible tells us to REJOICE in all things. Why does God want us to rejoice? How are we to rejoice even when things look bleak around us? What are the benefits of rejoicing? There’s an old saying of telling someone to take a happy pill. Many people try to find happiness in various ways such as vacations, shopping, dining out, reading, writing, etc. However, one may ask, “What is true happiness?” The world will tell you that happiness is doing whatever makes you happy. However, sometimes doing what YOU want may not coincide with what God wants. There were plenty of times when many of us can recall doing things like partying, drinking, and hanging out with certain people who brought us joy at the time, but in actuality was hurting our walk with Christ. So how can we be happy in God in a way that doesn’t consist of walking around with your Bible all day?

 

There are so many things that God made for us to enjoy here on Earth. God didn’t want us to be sad, miserable, and feel defeated all the time. He wants for us to enjoy the simple things in life. Many of us take just waking up and smelling the fresh air for granted, but God made this world for us to enjoy.

 

Genesis 1:26-28 Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” (NIV)

 

If you notice, God wanted us to be “like” Him. Do we have a sad God? Do we have a God who is constantly worried about the things of life? No! We have a God who is in control and is the creator of all things that are good. God wanted us to be like Him for He was the one who made us. God could have chosen to never make man, but God desired to have a people that would love Him and want to be in relationship with Him. He wanted us to enjoy listening to the birds in the air, watching the trees in the field and all of His creation. He wanted man to populate the earth and fill it with people to enjoy the wonderful creation that He made.

 

Even though man fell, God still wanted us to enjoy the world around us. He wants us to be happy despite the things that life may through at us. God didn’t have to allow man to survive the flood after the world was destroyed, but God still allowed the earth to become anew. Yes, sin was still here because we come from a sinful nature. However, God even made a plan for that so that we wouldn’t be eternally loss.

 

Take time to enjoy what God has created in nature. Take a walk in the park, listen to the chirping of the birds, enjoy sitting in the sun, and most of all, open your ears to what He has to say. In one of John’s letters, he wrote, “Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.” 3 John 1:2 (NIV) We are not only to want happiness for ourselves, but we should pray for the happiness of others. There’s a world that is full of sorry and pain, but what if we were just the smile that they needed to give them hope in a dire situation.  Learn to be happy in God and if you don’t know how to do that, pray that God will show you the way. Philippians 4:7 and the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. (NIV) Ask God for peace and in peace, is perfect happiness in Him.