I Just Want to be Happy

I remember once, a man got up to speak, and the first thing he said was, “Everyone wants to be happy.” A very few of you who read this may remember this man saying this. This same man also spent time in a prison in a far Eastern country for trying to spread Christianity. (That’s not why he went) I also heard him comment, “I was happy there.”

As I look at myself I see that I have ideas about what would make me happy. Many of the things I think about seem to be good even righteous things. Yet though I have prayed and sought them in every way I can imagine they have eluded me.

There, in that last sentence is the problem. I have been striving for that which I think, will make me happy. The answer that Brother Bratlie found and that Jesus clearly taught and lived is found in doing the will of God instead of my own will.

WHAT FUN IS THAT?

Well, fun is not the point. Here I am talking about being happy, satisfied, fulfilled. That is a different matter. The same man that I spoke of earlier is the first man that I remember saying that Jesus was the happiest man that ever lived. It takes a little imagination but if you think about it, it is very clear.

You have loved righteousness and hated iniquity, therefore God, Your God, has anointed You with the oil of gladness above Your fellows." (Hebrews 1:9)

Jesus has said where His joy is. We can see it in John 15:11.

I have spoken these things to you so that My joy might remain in you and your joy might be full.

His JOY is in us. That is what he wanted. Did he seek it by looking for ways to make our life easy, or finding fun things for us to do. Jesus shows us the way when he says.

For I came down from Heaven, not to do My own will but the will of Him who sent Me. (John 6:38)

Jesus found his joy by doing the will of God. He is my Rabbi as well as my Savior. If I am to take his yoke upon myself then I need to follow his example. That is where I will find happiness.

Therefore, since we also are surrounded with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily besets us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right of the throne of God.