I would bet good money on the possibility that one of the major goals of your life is to be happy. That’s high on my wish list too! Probably no mystery there. Everybody wants to be happy. Now here’s the good news – Jesus wants you and me to be happy too. The confusing side (not the bad side) of that good news is that Jesus defines happiness in a very different way than we do. If we’re honest, “happiness” for us is having everything in life exactly the way we want it. In reality, happiness often is the ultimate act of selfishness. It would probably be very true that if you or I were totally happy on our terms, there would be a whole lot of unhappy people!
The happiness Jesus Christ offers us is so different because his view of life is so different from ours. He does know what is best for us. Even though we are convinced we know what would make us happy, in truth, we’re guessing most of the time.
In his longest sermon (which, by the way, is much shorter than the sermons of most preachers today) Jesus describes in detail the life which brings healthy, long-lasting happiness. You’ll find the plan in Matthew chapters 5 through 7. It’s called, “The Sermon on the Mount”. If you don’t have much time, just read the first eleven verses of chapter 5. This short section is called “The Beatitudes”. It is God’s concise plan for making you happy. Don’t be shocked though! At first glance you might think, “This is a plan to make me miserable.” But then remember who it is that is speaking and what he has done for you. Let the concepts work in your mind over the next few days. Think seriously about what is most important in life. You may well find Jesus not only gives us something to think about in “The Beatitudes”, but they are indeed the surest path to happiness.
If you are up to some counterintuitive thinking this Sunday morning, join us for our 10:00 am worship service!
Sunday Morning Worship – 10:00 am