King Solomon once wrote these words: Ecclesiastes 5:18: ‘Behold that which I have seen: it is good and comely for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labour that he taketh under the sun all the days of his life, which God giveth him: for it is his portion.’
Love, happiness, and friendship are a special enjoyment of life. Blessed is the person who understands this and makes full use of it. Let me offer a comparison.
When I walk around my neighborhood, I often pass buildings that I helped construct several years ago. I remember the empty lot well, when there was nothing there and only grass was growing. Then we builders came and began to create something good. As a result of our labor, two small houses appeared. Later, other people came and added their efforts, and the houses became warm and inviting. I remember the owners’ joy when they received the keys and prepared to move in. Now they live in these beautiful homes and arrange their lives as they see fit.
Every time I pass these buildings, I look at them and rejoice that my labor, too, became part of someone’s life and helped make it more comfortable and interesting. I take in the sight of those houses and continue on my way. The people living inside do not even realize that each time I pass by, I rejoice in the work of my hands. I do not think they even remember me, but that does not take away my joy.
Why am I telling you this? I have used this illustration as an example of a special joy that I have experienced for many years and plan to enjoy throughout Eternity.
The Lord has entrusted His Word, His love, and influence to us so that we may sow them wherever possible. And He watches very carefully to see how I use these gifts of Heaven. It is so wonderful to pass them on to others, sowing love in the lives of those around me.
And afterward, what joy it is to watch the crop spring up—to see God’s seed take root, blossom, and bear fruit.
When God’s love, sown by you, falls on good soil, it makes a person’s life beautiful and inviting, filling the mind with warmth and happiness. And when the seed of love sprouts, it bears fruit that contains seed of its own, ready to be sown.
I experience tremendous enjoyment and delight when I pass by those people into whose hearts I once planted something good. I quietly stand off to the side and remember how things were at first, and then how Jesus and I came and began making an effort, building something and making improvements. Later, others came and lent a hand. Then the Lord presented the keys to the ‘house of happiness’ to its joyful owners and became a welcome Friend in that home.
And I stand off to the side and quietly rejoice as I see my friends’ lives filling with happiness, love, and friendship. What a pleasure it is to see strong families that have remained intact and set out on the path of love and friendship; to see the radiant faces of friends who live in the light of love and prepare for Eternity, no longer dwelling on the darkness from which they once saw no way out; to see people who have found the meaning of life in Jesus and live with the assurance of salvation as they prepare to meet Him; and to see those whose lives became better and more beautiful because you entered them with your love and friendship.
I often reread in the book of Isaiah that the Lord ‘shall see of the travail of His soul, and shall be satisfied.’ It brings me such joy to see the happy face of my Savior and to share His joy with Him throughout Eternity.
For now, I am only learning this heavenly joy. I am learning to live as though I were already in Eternity and only its laws were written in my heart. Eternal life began at the moment of the new birth; through faith in Jesus, it continues. Knowing the only true God and Jesus, Whom He sent, sustains my spiritual growth and gives me the right to live among holy beings. I have this hope, and through the death and resurrection of Jesus, it has become possible for every person.
And the love that brings friendship into relationships and happiness into the mind is the key to the house of my heart, entrusted to Jesus so that He will not stand outside and knock, but will enter my life as its rightful Owner, set my life in order, and have access to every room. I can only tell others about this and share my experience of how I came to it and what I went through. To some, these may be only words, but they are good words with the power to create something new and meaningful—the power to change someone’s life.
Words of love transform the mind, change lives, point people in the right direction, scatter darkness, give hope, bear good fruit, and point to Jesus. Yet they remain only words, and there can never be too many of them. They adorn life with heavenly light.
Do not be afraid to be happy and kind. Do not be afraid to speak freely and act decisively in love. Words of love reveal the true motive behind everything you do. Your words of love will vindicate you on the day of judgment, testifying to the closeness with God that filled your heart to overflowing; for when the heart overflows with love, the mouth begins to speak, revealing God’s character to the world.
It is so wonderful to stand off to the side and behold the work of your own lips, which has adorned someone’s life with love, happiness, and friendship. What joy it is to know that someone’s life became better because you are part of it. How important it is to realize that someone is happy because you sowed a seed of love in that person’s heart, and it sprang up and bore good fruit; that someone became happy after hearing about your experience with agape, decided to try it, and succeeded; that someone found in me a friend forever. Glory to God!
It brings such joy to hear that those who are studying in this school fellowship with one another, form their own groups, make new friends, gain new experiences, and then even come to love one another.
It brings such joy to see families that were planning to divorce but learned that love exists and decided to taste it—and now live happily in love and cannot imagine life without one another.
How wonderful it is to hear that someone who was in the church yet lived in the prison of sin and had become disappointed in everything chose to turn on love in his mind, came to know Jesus, and became a light to this world. What joy it is to see someone else’s happiness in which you, too, have had a part.
What blessedness it is to receive seeds of life from the Lord and sow them in this world, watching the soil into which they fall and seeing how they spring up.
Most remarkable of all is learning that words of gratitude are being offered to Jesus for your humble labor and that God’s Name is being glorified. No matter how you participated in this process or how late you became part of the movement of God’s work, the Lord will give you what He desires to give and what He has prepared for those who love Him.
And the greatest joy is knowing that our names are written in the Book of Life—and that, because of us and our influence, our words of love and friendship, new names are being written there as well.
My lips never cease to thank the One Who is Love, the One Who is Love in my life.
And all of you, my friends, are my joy. It gives me great pleasure to stand off to the side and watch your lives become better because Jesus entered them and kindled a light called love, happiness, and friendship. What joy it is to see that you are happy. And Jesus shall see of the travail of His soul, and shall be satisfied.
Bible verses for this chapter:
Isaiah 32:20; 53:11; Matthew 5:16; 12:37; 1 Thessalonians 2:13; 3:9; Proverbs 11:18; 2 Corinthians 9:8–12; Luke 10:20; Colossians 1:27–29; Psalm 126:5–6; Titus 2:11–15; Hebrews 13:21–22; 2 Timothy 4:6–8; Proverbs 25:11; Song of Solomon 2:4; 6:1–3