God’s Happiness Prescription

"God wants me to be happy!"

Yes! It’s true! But not in the way that any number of folks have meant it, when they have made that comment over the years to all of us who will listen!

Usually the person who says that means that he or she has run out of patience with a business contract, a marriage (more often than not, this is it), or some other accepted responsibility. You’ve heard me say a few times before, "it’s not that God wants me to be happy. He wants me to be faithful." We sing it. "Oh, may all who come behind us find us faithful."

But he does want me to be happy, if I understand what he means by "happy." Most translations of the Bible use the word "blessed" in the opening moments of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, which we call the beatitudes. It is likely that "happy" is a closer translation of the word that he uses there. He wants me to be happy long-term, which, if we listen to what he says, may more often than not means some significant unhappiness in the sort term.

"Happy are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me," said Jesus. "Happy are those who are persecuted." It means that we have sought to walk the way of Jesus, talk the way of Jesus, and stay with the way of Jesus.