Tusday, July 03, 2018

 

A study conducted by the Austin Institute for the Study of Family and Culture concluded that people of faith who attend religious services on a weekly basis are nearly twice as likely to describe themselves as being “very happy” as opposed to people who never attend. Having served as a Pastor for the last twenty-five years, it has been my personal experience that there are three reasons for this. Firstly, we believers accept the fact that the world is imperfect and unjust therefore we too are imperfect and even unjust at times. Secondly, we have a sense that no matter what happens, God has our backs. This makes it hard to be unhappy when we know that if everything were to fall apart, we have a Heavenly Father who always offers us a way out. Finally, by accepting the fact that we are imperfect and unjust it causes us to depend on God to help us become the person that we have not been able to become on our own.

 

Matthew 5:4 NKJ

 

“Happy are those who mourn, God will comfort them!”

 

We are poised to become “very happy” when the pain of our inability to get things right leads us to the conclusion that we don’t just need help but rather a higher power. The reason being that God offers comfort to those who become broken hearted at the realization of their own imperfections and unjustness. Then He gives us the power to do and become the persons we ought to be.

 

• For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him. Philippians 2:13 NLT

 

• The Spirit that God gives us…fills us with power, love and self-control. 2 Timothy 1:7 TEV

 

Accepting God’s offer to become happy is the result of us accepting our lack of power to completely and consistently change ourselves. Accepting God’s offer is accepting the fact that we need an external source of power; we need God. And, God makes us “very happy”.