Today, I picked up a devotional (not my normal habit). The part I read asked a very good question: "What would it take to make you happy?"
The author related a few stories, a blind person who said, "If I could only see, I would be happy." Yet, there are many seeing people who aren't happy. Another person said, "If I had a job, I would be happy." Yet, how many people complain about going to work? Another sad, "If I were just married, I would be happy." One word: Divorce.
Happy, as defined in this world is getting one more thing. It is having some outside force come into your world to give you something you don't have. But, as we have just seen, these things may give momentary pleasure or relief, but they can never provide happiness.
Jesus defined the "happy" life to us in the Beattitudes. the Greek word "makarios" is translated "blessed." The Greek dictionaries say the word carries the addional meanings of "happy or fortunate."
So, what is the happy life? A person who is "poor in spirit, mourning, meek, hungry, merciful, persecuted and insulted."
Apparently, happy is more an attitude of the heart than beneficial conditions, pleasure or acquistion of stuff. What would happen if we started embracing happiness from Christ's point of view? What if we simply started being thankful to God for what we have instead of being grumpy about what we do not have?
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