Happiness

The above five keys to happiness would be great for all fathers and their children to observe this Father’s Day and every day of their lives as well as everyone else.

1. Love Freely: We are commanded to love one another as Christ has loved us, and He loved and loves us freely by His grace. It is God that gave us grace to love freely and witness to us that we are born again children of God. “Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.”  (I John 4:7).  God’s love is unconditional as there is nothing that we could do to merit His love. Love cannot be bought. If it could be bought it would not be true love. True love cannot be quenched nor bought and anything otherwise is condemned by God. Solomon said, “Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it: if a man would give all the substance of his house for love, it would utterly be contemned.” (Song Sol. 8:7)

2. Forgive Quickly:  No child of God does everything perfectly and must ask the Heavenly Father for forgiveness. No natural father does everything right and their children must learn to forgive them. Every son or daughter disobeys their parents and should ask for forgiveness but that would not necessarily eliminate the chastening hand. In all cases, we must be quick to forgive and not in a grudging way. Paul tells us, “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” (Eph. 4:32). Just as we should be swift to hear, we should be swift to forgive as it would save us from being delivered to the tormentors which Jesus promised to those who failed to forgive from the heart. (Matt. 18:34) We cannot expect God to forgive us if we do not exercise the same forgiveness to others.

3. Give Freely: We should give freely, but we cannot give anything that we do not possess. If we give of our time, it is because we have time. If we give of our love, it is because we have love. If we give of our money, it is because we have money. Who has blessed us to have all these things? Of course, it is the Lord of glory. Jesus commended the widow who cast in her two mites as being more than all the rest that had cast their abundance into the treasury. Perhaps they had cast grudgingly and not cheerfully as the Lord loves a cheerful giver. “Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.” (II Cor. 9:7)

4. Speak Truthfully: We do not have to teach our children to tell a lie as they come by that propensity in their human nature. We do have to teach them what is right and wrong and unless they speak truthfully, it is wrong; consequently, it is sinful in the eyes of God. The wicked are estranged from the womb and go forth as soon as they be born speaking lies. (Psalm 58:3) What does the Lord tell His children? “Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;” (Col. 3:9). It is no wonder that a prayer of David would be, “Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.” (Psalm 19:14)

5. Pray Faithfully:  This is just one of the avenues in which we are commanded to be faithful because Jesus is our faithful high priest who has reconciled us to God. Jesus faithfully prayed unto His Heavenly Father, not only for His children but also for Himself as well.  “Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;” (John 17:20).  “These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee:” (John 17:1).  We are told to continue in prayer and watch in the same with thanksgiving. It takes faithfulness to do this. If we don’t feel like praying, pray just the same as the Lord is well acquainted with our feelings. We will feel better and God will be honored.

These five things will lead to happiness for the child of God. Remember that happiness is not just being a happy go lucky individual. Happy in the scriptures means “blessed.” We know we should do these things, but are we doing what we know?  Jesus said, “If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.” (John 13:17)–June 13, 2013–Elder Larry Wise

 

Facebook Twitter Email

About wisepb

Pastor: Bethany Primitive Baptist Church
This entry was posted in Articles. Bookmark the permalink.