The Declaration of Independence guarantees us the God-given right . . .
The Declaration of Independence guarantees us the God-given
right to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” What is not guaranteed, of course, is our
success in obtaining such happiness. We
can pursue it all we wish, but obtaining happiness is not a God-given
right. Indeed, some claim that
happiness—at least in the lasting, permanent sense—will always elude us!
The reason for this is that happiness is an emotion brought
about by the circumstances of our lives.
As the word itself implies, happiness is associated with happenings, or
in some cases, with happenstance (luck, good fortune, etc.). If things are going well in our lives, then
most of us tend to be happy. If things
are not going so well, then we tend to be unhappy.
By way of contrast, joy is not an emotion at all. According to the Apostle Paul, it is one of
the fruits of the Holy Spirit. Hence,
joy is something that endures; whereas happiness is usually fleeting. Joy is something that cannot be taken from
us; whereas happiness is contingent upon whatever is taking place around
us. It comes and goes depending upon the
situation.
My guess is that, at some point or another, we have all
encountered people who live and breathe sheer joy. It is a joy that permeates their very
being—and get this— it is a joy that neither ebbs nor flows. It does not matter whether their immediate
circumstance is blissful or troublesome.
It makes no difference if the situation they are facing is serene or
traumatic. To be sure, they may not be
happy about it; but they still experience a sense of joy, even in the midst of
tragedy.
In his letter to the Philippians, the Apostle Paul reveals
that he has learned the great secret of being satisfied with whatever he
has. He knows what it is to have a
little, and he knows what it is to have a lot.
He knows what is it to be well-fed, and he knows what it is to go
hungry.
Put another way, the external circumstances of his life are
no longer determining his level of contentment.
“I am ready to face anything,” he writes, “because of Jesus Christ who
strengthens me.” And knowing that cannot
help but bring us joy!
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