As I build my little house of happiness, I must not forget that love is the binding and foundational element of the entire structure. It is like a circulatory system that begins in the heart of God and carries particles of life to every part of the temple of the Holy Spirit, nourishing and permeating every brick of my little house. Although my participation in this process is indispensable, the Master Builder is Jesus Himself, Who ‘is a minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man’ (Hebrews 8:2).
The mystery of this structure is far too great for the limited human mind to grasp all at once. Yet it is love that opens the boundless reaches of thought and imagination and brings into life unlimited prospects for eternal growth and the knowledge of holiness.
Love is a plant of Heavenly origin. It is nourished by the water of life and possesses the renewing power of Eternity. Although love adapts itself to the earthly characteristics of my mind, its nature is incorruptible and its energy inexhaustible.
Love is a treasure of Heavenly origin. It is issued by the Heavenly Bank of Love, which enriches everyone who continually turns to the Manager for another loan so that he may empty all the Heavenly storehouses and distribute this wealth to his neighbors and those in need. This Bank is like a small room in a boundless ocean, into which the life-giving gold of Heavenly currency flows through the windows of my soul, so that I lack nothing. I may close these windows for a time and spend my reserves. I may sit upon bars of gold and accuse the Owner of the Bank of failing to give me what I need. Yet He desires to teach me how to use this wealth.
Happiness is found in love, and its beauty lies in the fact that the Lord provides everything necessary for it. But whether I will be happy or waste away from sorrow is a choice I make for myself. It is like having a smartphone in my hands. It has many functions and will do whatever it is instructed to do at the touch of a finger. The device will produce whatever I request. But without my command it will simply lie there quietly like a piece of plastic, offering me no value. And if I do not know how to use it, all its capabilities will be of little benefit to me.
Consider this comparison. We have entered the smartphone age, and if we refuse to accept this innovation, we will fall hopelessly behind. We will continue to live, but without the benefits of modern civilization. That is not so terrible, and at times it may even be more interesting. But to the students in this school I can say that we have entered the age of love and happiness, and a new Land of great possibilities has opened before us. You have tasted the Bread of Life in Its pure form, and you can never again be what you once were. You have entered the Most Holy Place of the Heavenly Temple to partake of something great and inaccessible that you did not know before. This Land of love and happiness has always existed, but not everyone wishes to live there. If you do not accept this new reality in your life, you will continue to exist in whatever you choose for yourself, but you risk falling hopelessly behind all that God has prepared—all that never stands still, but is revealed to those who seek, remain faithful, and thirst for it.
I myself did not know where we would arrive, but now we are confronted with the fact that God is opening a new way—the way of love and happiness in love—about which we have heard much but known little. It is present in our lives, and its laws are scattered everywhere. They will not be new to anyone, but as long as they are mixed with filth and submerged in the wine of Babylon, they cannot work in all their beauty and power. Happiness is always close to us. We have been tasting this water of life for a long time and know its flavor. But if this water becomes mixed with what is earthly and dangerous, whom should we blame? Who is at fault when we are unhappy in the midst of abundance? That very ‘I’ who can build something better.
If I have spent my whole life in a shed among other sheds and someone asks me to build a beautiful palace, what do you think I will build? That is right: I will build a large shed.
As long as I have the body of a caterpillar, my way of thinking may be called caterpillar thinking. Even though it develops, I find it difficult to imagine myself with wings. It is easier for me to picture my future as an enormous caterpillar with powerful jaws and gripping legs, able to crawl very quickly through the trees and devour everything in its path. To me, that represents the full extent of my potential. But God has prepared for me the body of a butterfly, which lives by different laws even though it inhabits the same world. I look at this and cannot imagine how, with my weight, I will be able to soar through the air and feed not upon flowers but only upon their nectar. I fear that I will be smashed flat and starve to death. But the Creator has a special plan for me. He confidently leads me into the land of butterflies, showing me that a day will come in my life when I first enter the dark cocoon of my soul and then emerge from it, never again to return to the body of a caterpillar—although He loves and values both caterpillars and butterflies.
The Land of Happiness is filled with fragrant flowers that yield wonderful nectar and are accessible only to butterflies that fly in love. We may merely observe this, or we may take part in it.
But while a caterpillar is destined to become a butterfly regardless of its wishes, we earthly people are given a choice. I may stop at any stage of construction. I may never even begin. I may build incorrectly and unattractively. I may place bricks made of manure and garbage into the walls and plaster it all with mud. Everything is in my hands. I have been given a plan, a compass, and instructions. There are people who know how to build and are ready to offer advice. But in the end, I am the one who decides what to do with my happiness and my love.
I decide to continue building according to God’s plan, guided by the instruction of the Holy Spirit. In prayer I declare my decision and take a step of faith. I believe that I will produce the masterpiece of God’s design prepared personally for me, and the joy of the Lord moves me, giving me enthusiasm and a desire to create something beautiful—something that will gladden my heart and bring rejoicing and peace to my neighbors and friends.
My friends actively help me with this construction by allowing me to try out all my newfound love, joy, and friendliness on them. At times it is very difficult for them to endure such assaults, but they allow me to love them and sometimes respond in kind, which gives me great encouragement. Occasionally they come to my construction site uninvited and examine everything I have accomplished. Some advise me to correct things according to their own ideas; some are amazed; and some try to convince me that happiness does not exist and that I am wasting my time. But I believe God and remember His rebuke that I am miserable, and I do not want to return to that land. So I must tactfully explain God’s standards to everyone and quietly continue building, at times completely alone.
It is so strange that everyone seeks happiness, yet not everyone wants to be happy according to God’s design and plan. It is impossible to enter God’s happiness while holding on to our own ideas about it. The fire of testing will destroy everything that does not belong there. Only what is eternal can inherit Eternity and live forever.
I look at the open doors of the Land of Love and Happiness and understand that they will soon close to everyone. But which side of those doors I will be on now depends entirely upon me. I take a step of faith and accept God’s plan. What happiness it is to be faithful!
Bible verses for this chapter:
1 Corinthians 2:9–13; Psalm 27:5; Ezekiel 37:11–14; Colossians 1:26–29; Ephesians 3:16–19; Zechariah 4:6; Revelation 3:7–8; 22:1–5; Isaiah 55:1–3; Matthew 11:28–30; John 6:37