Happiness Multiplied

The psalmists gave us a variety of ways that we could find happiness in our lives.  They were all practical and not out of reach for every believer to practice daily.  In Matthew Jesus began His message on Kingdom living with a few practical tips on how to happily live with Him as King of our lives.  The Beatitudes in Matthew 5 begin with eight choices we can make for our life to find happiness.  All of them run counter to the way we would normally expect to find happiness.  But Jesus is King and these are the stated patterns for living with happiness in His kingdom on this present earth.

He began with “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”  Some people have chosen to believe that this passage offers some special spiritual benefit to people who choose to be poor.  But that is not what Jesus said or meant.  He specifically said “poor in spirit”.  How can we be poor in spirit?  In Luke 18:10-14 Jesus told of two men who went to pray in the temple.  One was a Pharisee and the other a publican.  The Pharisee told God why He should accept him.  The other told God that he needed Him.  The first was not poor in spirit, but the second was. 

Poor in spirit strips away from us the pride of life that arose in the heart of Eve when she was tempted by Satan.  Satan told her she could be like God.  She wanted that.  She was not content to be the first lady of the Garden of Eden.  That was an insufficient status for her.  She wanted to be like God.  That is like the Pharisee.  He said to God, “I know I am as good as You, so You should accept me.”  The Pharisee was a strict law keeper, but he was as repugnant to God as if he had never kept a single law.  He did not love God.  He loved his own righteousness and that is not poor in spirit.

Happiness can only come when we see that we are insufficient and God is all sufficient.  Only by dying to self and its pride and allowing Christ His rightful place as Lord will we find the happiness of heavenly bliss in our hearts.  Isaac Watts in his hymn “Blest Are the Humble Souls That See” captured this truth in the first stanza. “Blest are the humble souls that see their emptiness and poverty; treasures of grace to them are giv’n, and crowns of joy laid up in Heav’n.”  Let us recognize daily that it is only Christ in us that gives us hope and joy.  Pride will never bring happiness, but Christ will. 

 

 

Visit my website at www.davidccraig.net for inspiring Christian books.  Coming this month is my newest book Taking Care of Joe.  This is the story of a caregiver for an Alzheimer’s patient.  See how God adds His grace in the face of this horrible disease and how living a life of love is living a life NOT interrupted.  You may also find some of my selected daily devotions at FEBC.org.  FEBC is a vital missionary outreach to many countries that are closed to traditional missionary work.