Once, at a camp meeting, a woman told me about her teenage daughter. The daughter blamed her mother for teaching her many good things but failing to teach her about happiness and how to be happy. I was so glad to know that there was someone in this world who longed for happiness and wanted to learn how to be happy.
I met the girl and asked her to take a pen and a notebook. I began telling her about happiness, its laws, and its principles. We talked about it for a very long time, and she wrote down everything that brings happiness and everything of which it consists.
If our sons and daughters were taught the principles of a happy life from childhood, I think they would be very happy throughout their lives. Still, happiness is my choice.
To understand whether I am happy, I must define what happiness is. Many people confuse it with joy, and when difficulties arise and joy no longer fills the heart, or there is no smile on the face, happiness evaporates. Many of you are happy without even realizing it, and this leads to certain difficulties. When I understand what this state is, I consciously choose this path and remove every obstacle so that I may attain happiness and remain in it.
Wikipedia defines it this way:
Happiness is a human condition that corresponds to the greatest inner satisfaction with the circumstances of one’s existence, to the fullness and meaningfulness of life, and to the fulfillment of one’s human purpose.
It is a good definition, but it has no spiritual foundation and, in many cases, may even apply to those who are unhappy.
The Bible gives a definition that describes happiness more fully: ‘righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost’ (Romans 14:17).
My happiness is determined by how I understand my condition and by the choice I make.
You can stand under an umbrella in the rain and rejoice, or you can cry.
I have raised this subject so that together we may discover the meaning and nature of happiness. It has its own laws and its own way of working within a person.
There are two concepts:
Temporary happiness, or what we sometimes call happiness. Constant and eternal happiness—the happiness to which the Lord desires to lead us.
There is another kind of happiness as well—a sort of castle in the air. It is the theory that if I obtain or achieve something, I will feel wonderful once I have it.
Now let us consider the most important matter: what happiness rests upon and what forms its foundation.
Let us picture it as a little house of happiness. It is governed by the same principles we encounter in construction.
The apostle Paul uses builders as an example and writes in 1 Corinthians 3:9, 11: ‘Ye are God’s building,’ and ‘other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.’
This is the Foundation of every kind of happiness.
How are we to understand this? We are speaking about spiritual things, and they must also be understood spiritually. If I have not believed in Jesus as my personal Savior from the power of sin and do not have a close relationship with Him, then I do not know Him, and He does not know me. He draws me to Himself, calls me to know Him, desires to reveal the beauty of His character and cleanse me from sin, and He waits for me to respond.
By accepting Christ as my Lord and Savior, I lay a firm foundation in my life, in my mind, and in my feelings. Upon it, I can build the little house called ‘My Happiness.’
This Foundation will bear any load and support any structure, and it is eternal and unchanging.
It is possible to build happiness without Christ. This is called building on sand. The house will still take shape and may even be beautiful, but only until the first trial, when it will collapse.
What is built upon Christ will also be tested—and tested from every direction. If anyone has built with inferior materials, he will suffer loss, but he himself will be saved.
For example, consider two wealthy brothers.
One of them acquired many fine possessions, established a business, surrounded himself with influential people and friends, and continued increasing his wealth until the day he died, feeling no need to be saved from sin. He left this life full of years, without knowing God or His will.
The other always asked for wisdom from above and sought God’s counsel so that he would know how best to manage the wealth he possessed by God’s grace. He established a business, surrounded himself with friends and influential people, and continually thought about whom he could help and how he could best use his wealth. He died full of years, with faith in a better life with God.
Their deeds were brought before God’s judgment, examined, and a verdict was rendered. Which of them do you think will be happy at the resurrection?
A life with God and faith in Jesus lays a firm foundation for eternal and genuine happiness here on this earth, in this present life.
The foundation of every kind of structure in my spiritual life is Christ—that is, my personal relationship with Him, my fellowship with Him, and my trust in Him. And this is no small foundation, but a Rock upon Which anything can be built, no matter its height, width, or depth. He will bear any load.
Have you ever wondered why such tall buildings are constructed in Manhattan in the United States? A layer of granite lies beneath them and can bear enormous loads, making it possible to build skyscrapers there with confidence.
And so I begin building happiness. Do I have a plan? God has a plan for my life. Do I know it, and does it agree with my ideas about happiness? If my plan for happiness is merely my own, then even with a good foundation, my little house may turn out very flimsy, because I have no understanding of what it should be like or what loads it must withstand.
I am a builder myself, and in many respects I see a connection between physical and spiritual laws. The houses I build are engineered to withstand earthquakes measuring up to magnitude 5, hurricanes, snowfall, cold and heat, floods, groundwater pressure, dampness, and vandals. Everything is calculated before construction begins; the plans are then approved by the local authorities, and a building permit is issued.
Even if none of these disasters occur, the structure is designed to withstand them all. These requirements exist because they were written in blood.
When I built a small house in my garden, I took all these things into account as well. My neighbors were surprised and made fun of me, but time will show which of us was more farsighted. If a hurricane comes, I know that my roof will remain in place.
God is deeply concerned about the safety, beauty, and strength of our spiritual house, and He has excellent building materials so that it will neither collapse nor burn when it is tested. Unlike ordinary construction, spiritual construction is remarkable in that it passes through every storm, upheaval, hurricane, fire, and flood and is tested from every direction for strength. After the test, I see that the house is still standing, that it is fit to live in, and that I can invite anyone who wishes to enter, giving them the warmth of my happiness and answering all their questions about how this house was built. Yet there are always people who have their own ideas and refuse to learn from the mistakes of others, people who want to create a masterpiece very quickly and cheaply. Trials come to them as well, however, and collapse follows. God has given many instructions, and He is too wise to be mistaken. He loves us and helps us in everything. The storm is approaching, and He knows it, but He is limited by our choice.
Shall we begin planning?
Shall we build?
Shall we learn how to build?
Bible verses for this chapter:
1 Corinthians 3:9–15; Proverbs 30:26; Isaiah 28:16; 54:11–14; Ezekiel 13:13–14; Luke 1:3–4; 6:48; Hebrews 11:10