(Philippians 4:4), “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!”

God has designed our hearts to experience a number of different feelings and emotions and two of them are happiness and joy. There are times when the heart is to experience grief and sadness. Even the Lord Jesus Christ experienced grief and sorrow (Isaiah 53) and also wept (John 11:35).

But our hearts should also be experiencing happiness and joy.

Where do we look to find happiness and joy?

How do we promote it in our lives and in the lives of others?

Where Happiness is Not Found;

• It is not found in unbelief: A well-known atheist, Voltaire spoke great things against God and the Bible. He is quoted, “I wish I had never been born.” Unbelief will not bring you happiness.
• It is not found in money: Jay Gould, an American millionaire, when dying said, “I suppose I am the most miserable devil on earth.”
• It is not found in position or fame: Lord Beaconsfield enjoyed more than his share of both, but wrote, “Youth is a mistake, manhood a struggle, old age a secret.”
• It is not found in infidelity: Colonel Charteris said, “I would gladly give 30,000 pounds to have it proved to my satisfaction that there is no such place as hell.”
• It is not found in pleasure: Lord Byron, who partied in pleasure all his days, wrote on his last birthday, “My days are in the yellow leaf. The flowers and fruits of life are gone. The worm, the canker and the grief are mine alone.”
• It is not found in power: Napoleon the Great, when captured and a lonely prisoner on St. Helena said, “Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne and myself founded empires.  But on what? ON FORCE! Jesus Christ alone founded His on love, and today there are millions who would die for Him.”

The way God designed humankind with a soul, there is something deep within all of us that confirms these following words of our Lord Jesus Christ;

(Mark 8:36), “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?”

Where Happiness and Joy are Experienced (Find happiness in the right things)

• In forgiveness of sins:

(Matthew 9:1-2), “So He got into a boat, crossed over, and came to His own city. Then behold, they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven you.”

Notice the joy of being forgiven was to come before the joy of being healed.  Jesus hasn’t healed the paralytic physically at this moment and yet, Jesus is telling the disabled man to “be of good cheer”. Why? Because when we know our sins have been forgiven, we feel free inside of guilt and shame. Our spirits soar with the greatest of joyfulness and gladness and our hearts are filled with thanks to our Lord Jesus Christ for saving us from such an awful debt.

• When we cleanse ourselves from the filthiness of the world:

(Ezra 6:16-22), “Then the children of Israel, the priests and the Levites and the rest of the descendants of the captivity, celebrated the dedication of this house of God with joy. And they offered sacrifices at the dedication of this house of God, one hundred bulls, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs, and as a sin offering for all Israel twelve male goats, according to the number of the tribes of Israel… For the priests and the Levites had purified themselves; all of them were ritually clean…  Then the children of Israel who had returned from the captivity ate together with all who had separated themselves from the filth of the nations of the land in order to seek the Lord God of Israel. And they kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with joy; for the Lord made them joyful…”

Righteous living promotes joy.

(Psalm 32:10-11), “Many sorrows shall be to the wicked; But he who trusts in the Lord, mercy shall surround him. Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous; And shout for joy, all you upright in heart!”

(Psalm 35:27-28), “Let them shout for joy and be glad, Who favor my righteous cause; And let them say continually, “Let the Lord be magnified, Who has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant.” And my tongue shall speak of Your righteousness And of Your praise all the day long.”

(John 15:10-11), “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. These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.”

• When you answer or speak wisely:

(Proverbs 15:23), “A man has joy by the answer of his mouth, And a word spoken in due season, how good it is!”

It is so true! We rob ourselves of moments of joy and happiness when we do not speak wisely. When we say wrong things and hurt others, we feel bad inside. On the other hand, when the day is over and we look back on all the kind and encouraging words we spoke that actually brought joy, comfort and help to others, we rejoice and are glad for this day! We hear our Lord’s words, “Well done!”

• Happiness is to be found where we call “Home”:

When we read passages in God’s Word like (Proverbs 5:18), (Psalm 127 and 128), we see that families are to be a place where we find rejoicing and gladness. As we grow older, we grow wiser and understand what really are the important things in life. We realize that the most important thing is relationships. We come to value highly the love, joy, friendships, mutual aid, and fun we have with our family. We feel a sense of security knowing we can count on each other to be there in our times of need. It is a wonderful feeling knowing we can count on each other to be there in our times of need. It is a terrible feeling when one is all alone. The family fills our heart with the feeling of being loved, needed, and appreciated.

• Being used of God to win a lost soul:

(1 Thessalonians 2:19-20), “For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming? For you are our glory and joy.”

One of the most important concerns of the Christian is to see our family, friends, and neighbors come to love the Lord Jesus and His Word with all their heart. We spend so much time, energy, and finances to see that the gospel of Christ continues to reach so many who are not saved. We carry much sorrow in our hearts and shed so many tears for the salvation of our loved ones. This is why when one lost soul is saved, our hearts flood with joy and relief as we see such a changed life in them as they continue walking with the Lord! This is why the angels of Heaven rejoice over even one sinner that repents. At the end of the day, when we lay our head on our pillow, we experience joy for being involved, one way or another, in bringing the message of salvation to even one lost soul and rejoice that God used us for this eternal purpose.

• Knowing that your name is written in heaven:

(Luke 10:20), “Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.”

No matter what circumstances come our way, we will always have the joy of knowing that when life is over here on earth, all these things will be behind us and forgotten. We now have an eternity of joy ahead of us, because our names are written in heaven! And it is all because of Jesus who loves us with no bounds.

What Hinders Happiness?

• Worry: Take one day at a time, and trust the Lord.
• Lack of Forgiveness:  Resentment and bitterness will only harbor and grow in our hearts.
• Pride: We must all strive to have a humble and lowly spirit.
• Various circumstances: financial, sickness, relationships, etc.…

Whatever is hindering happiness and joy, you must find the solution to overcome this hindrance!

Live life with God. Walk with Him. Talk to Him. Do your part, but trust Him.

Take one day at a time and grab ahold of all the joy and happiness the day has to offer, and don’t miss out on one moment. Happiness is yours for the taking. 

GO FOR IT!!!