Does God want us to be happy?

Dearest Ones,

Achieving happiness, joy and contentment is not just a nice topic. I believe God wants us to be happy in this life, not just in the next one. We need to reassure each other when our faith needs a boost. We know that as Christians, and even as human beings in general, that we can't escape suffering. Most people will have suffering of some kind, whether it's physical or emotional, at some point in their lives. Should I go out and look for suffering? My answer is "No!" I believe we can learn from trials but that does not mean that God wants us to go around like a miserable group of people looking for them. Unhappiness is the difference between what IS and and what I want it to be.No one can give happiness to you, you must find it for yourself. Only you have the power to make yourself happy. It is a gift you give yourself. When we finally learn to accept the present circumstances, and not wish them to change, then we will know the secret of happiness. That's why St. Paul could say that he learned to be content whatever situation he was in. Paul had to think himself happy, which means he said NO to unhappy thoughts and replaced them with thoughts of peace and joy. The key to his contentment is found in verse 13: "I can do all things through Him who strengthens me." We can find contentment in our lives too, if we ask Jesus to help us. This doesn't mean we don't need to pray for a bad situation to change, but only to live with it until it changes. I believe happiness is a choice, and I can choose to be happy, no matter what the present circumstances may be. Do I always feel happy? No. Sometimes I start to feel sorry for myself and end up crying out to God for help. I've found in my own life that it's the little things in life that make me happy. I find happiness in encouraging someone who needs it or helping them in time of trouble. In order for happiness to arrive, we need to live our lives in the present moment, not dwelling on the past or worrying about the future, which keep us from living in the present. I never know when my physical capacities may be taken away, due to illness, age or injury. I need to make full use of what I have now to help others. You may say, "Well, that's great that you choose happiness for yourself, but what about me and my circumstances?" I don't know what each of you is going through in your life right now, and it may be very difficult for you to be happy, but I believe if you're not happy now you can be some day by making the choice. What does the Bible say about all this? Does God really want us to be happy? First of all, let's look at one of my favorite chapters, Philippians 4:4. Paul says we are to "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, Rejoice!" Paul wrote this from prison, where he didn't have any reason to be happy. In verse 6, he says we shouldn't be anxious about anything and that we should give our fears over to God through prayer and thanksgiving. If we do that, we can find the peace that surpasses all understanding. It's possible to find peace in life if we give our cares to God to handle. He will get us through them, whether we are in prison or experiencing a life-threatening trial. He wants to share our burdens; he will keep us strong. Paul mentions joy a number of times in his letter to the Philippians. This doesn't mean we are always jumping up and down for joy, but it comes when we turn everything over to God's care. God wants us to enjoy what he has given to us in life. Even something in your life that may appear really ugly right now may blossom into something beautiful later. It's the same way with trials: later, we may find that we have become a stronger and more compassionate person as a result of what God brought us through. We are so incredibly blessed to have a Heavenly Father in our lives who considers each one of us to be His beautiful child. He loves us with a type of love that we are not able to understand. It must be very painful for Him when He sees us go through trials in our lives, and even more painful when we refuse to allow Him to go through the trial with us. After the trials, the sun will shine again. Let's never forget how truly blessed we are!

Never forget that you are a precious child of God!
Sister Francelle