Blessed are the happy, for they shall remain happy.
When I tell strangers that I am happy, I see them begin to examine me with great suspicion, inwardly considering me an impostor. They have every right to do so. But when we begin to talk about this subject and get to know one another better, and I have an opportunity to share my knowledge and experience of a happy life, people begin to believe that it is possible to be happy. They try it, and it works.
The next brick for our little house of happiness is called ‘I am happy.’ Yes, that is exactly what it says. It is like a large sign on my house, telling other people what kind of structure it is and what is taking place inside. I believe that the wonderful processes occurring in my life and mind are worth speaking about. They need to be made known. Light from God is sent to illuminate everything around it, and happiness within that radiance is given so that we may live in blessedness.
It is important to note that the word ‘I’ must be present in this brick so that people will understand that what is happening is not a process of evolution, but the natural result of God’s sovereign plans finding a response in my heart.
Knowledge, understanding, application, enjoyment, and my decision to live by all the laws of happiness together lead me to become a happy person. I am not afraid to be one. This is a challenge to the world. The world could not tolerate the fact that I love, and my friendliness greatly angered it. But when I declared that I was happy despite every evil influence and everything around me, Satan’s fury knew no bounds. He has not merely lost me forever; he also understands that I will lead many of his captives to cling to Jesus and receive freedom. The world accepts this challenge and attacks happy people, but darkness cannot prevent light from shining. It simply does not have enough darkness to do so.
At times I am serious and thoughtful. Sometimes I find myself under the pressure of everyday cares, and very often—especially during trials—I do not smile. Yet this outward expression does not change the laws written in my heart, and my love is always with me, ready to act whenever an opportunity arises.
Tell me, how do you keep God’s commandments? Do you carry a list of these commands and promises with you and constantly compare what is written with what is happening in your life? Or, as you study these principles of God’s will, do you allow God to write them on your heart with His finger? When this writing takes place, the heart begins to experience peace and to guide my conduct in the light of God’s law engraved upon my thoughts.
Being happy is present truth, and God desires to write it on my heart with His finger as well. The heart is my thoughts and feelings, which together express my will and constitute my character. The formation of my character is the most important task that God Himself has set before me.
As I study the laws of happiness, I do not memorize them immediately; rather, I continually return to learning them as I grasp their depth. In order for them to become mine, I give God the right to place them in my mind and then establish me in their practical application and testing.
Every field of study teaches me the purpose for which it was developed. This is one of its defining qualities. For example, if I decide to become an electrician and first enroll in a vocational school and then at a university in this field, if I study it meticulously while also receiving practical training, I am confident that after completing such an education and passing the examinations, I will become an electrician and possess the mind of an electrician. My practical skills, combined with the knowledge I have gained, will establish me in my profession. I will become a specialist in this field and may even be entrusted with teaching others.
This can be achieved in any field of study.
When I tell others that I am an electrician, they immediately entrust complex projects to me and expect me to solve difficult problems and repair various faults.
If an accident occurs and something stops working, I do not run to builders or police officers, hoping to repair the fault by applying their fields of knowledge. Instead, I recall all the principles of electrical engineering and begin tracing the entire chain of relationships among these rules until I find the damage or malfunction. Once I discover the cause, I repair the fault. I do not consult my school textbooks to understand how what is written corresponds to reality. All this knowledge is in my heart, and I have a feel for my work because I possess the mind and heart of an electrician. Everything has already been placed within me.
The science of happiness, love, and friendship works in the same way. It is worth studying, reviewing, and rereading, because this material is very complex and at the same time simple to learn. It has limitless depth, which I can continue to explore independently through practical life.
In the course of learning, what initially seemed great and unattainable, unknown and difficult, becomes mine. I reveal the laws of happiness to you and explain how they work in my life; then we read about them in the Bible. Afterward, I ask what you have understood and pose questions so that, by processing this knowledge personally and expressing it, you may allow the Holy Spirit to establish what you have learned in your mind. Once knowledge has been received, the practical application of the theory begins with those close to you. Prayers for your life to be changed according to the light you have received give God authority to write the laws of love, happiness, and friendship upon your heart. You then become a living textbook of the Heavenly sciences you have studied, and God entrusts new students to you with whom you can share your knowledge and experience. You have something to tell them, because you possess a loving heart, the mind of a happy person, and a friendly spirit. These qualities of the soul cannot be counterfeited. Either they are present, or they must be learned.
A prayer of faith and longing is very helpful in the learning process. In it I express my desires and plans, share my experiences and difficulties, give God authority to act in my life and change my mind by writing the laws of love upon my heart, become established in the truth, and experience many other things. My prayer moves the hand of God by opening every door and window of my soul before Him.
‘I am happy’ is not merely a phrase, but the condition and disposition of my mind. This is how I live and think. This is how God desires to see me, and this is what Jesus taught throughout Scripture. Why should I remain silent about it?
If a comedian stands onstage, smiles, and declares that he is happy, everyone believes him and applauds. They want to imitate him, even though it is a counterfeit and a soap bubble. Yet this is exactly what many people want. But when a Christian declares that he is happy because the Bible teaches it and because he lives this way, people regard him as abnormal—for happy Christians do not exist, and the very idea sounds like fantasy. Even when every proof of happiness is presented, people still wait for a mistake so that they can point a finger and loudly proclaim, ‘You see! I told you that you were a liar and that such a thing was impossible!’
But happiness exists, and I am happy. It is true, it is from God, and on this I stand.
Bible verses for this chapter:
Hebrews 8:10–12; Revelation 22:14–15; Romans 10:9–10; 11:32–33; 12:1–2; Matthew 5:39–48; Revelation 12:11–12, 17; 19:10; 21:6–7; 22:8–12; 1 John 3:11; Psalm 42:1–2