In Pursuit of Happiness - Part Four | 07.31.12

We all have desires--both bad and good.  GOD understands that; and no matter how "out there" our desires may be, He's in no way shocked by them either.  It should be good news to someone that GOD sees into our innermost desires and is not shocked by what is found therein.  This serves to help us understand why GOD has given us the ever present Holy Spirit to dwell within us: that He might lead and guide us into all truth.  And the truth of the matter is that many things we desire in our attempts to be happy are neither good nor beneficial for us, irregardless of how badly we may want them.

But there's something terribly wrong with pursuing what GOD does not desire us to have anyway, as if us wanting something bad enough will somehow sanctify it in His eyes.  Furthermore, it's most assuredly in poor taste to blame GOD for the resulting consequences of our efforts to obtain that which He has forbidden us to have.  GOD is neither responsible for our poor decision making nor the rebellious nature from which it emanates.  And He's surely not responsible for the calamity that befalls us, like He's just sitting there waiting to punish us as He stalks our every move.

So why then do we feel entitled to diametrically oppose GOD's directives to instead pursue our own perceived happiness?  I'm led to believe that it's pride.  And with pride comes GOD's resistance.  Scripture says in 1 Peter 5:5 that GOD gives grace to the humble.  GOD releases His favor in the lives of humble people.  When we operate in humility, we obey GOD even when it hurts or we feel that GOD's requirements are unfair; and He rewards our obedience accordingly in ways money can't even buy.

Read the next installment (In Pursuit of Happiness - Part Five).

In Pursuit of Happiness - Part Three | 07.29.12

Bible says that Jesus learned obedience by the things He suffered (Hebrews 5:8).  Therefore, this tells me that Jesus became proficient in obeying GOD because of the suffering He experienced.  When most of us are suffering, our selfish preoccupation with how unhappy we feel at the moment trumps our commitment to trust and obey GOD.  Trust is born out of belief; and quite frankly, it's hard to obey GOD when we don't trust Him.  

I can't even begin to imagine how GOD feels when our actions indicate our lack of trust in Him.  He wants so much for us to be happy, and He's spared no expense in providing us everything required to live happily ever after; and yet we still choose to lean to our own understanding, fumbling and bumbling our way through life being victimized by the effects of consequences we brought upon ourselves.  No loving Father wants to see His child suffer in that way.  He'd rather us suffer for His name's sake, not for the sake of our fleshly lusts.

Hebrews 5:9 states that following Christ's suffering came perfection.  The suffering GOD allows us to endure plays a vital part in us becoming complete in Him.  And there's no greater happiness than that found in being complete, whole and entire.  To know the satisfaction that only GOD can provide epitomizes happiness.  Life simply doesn't get much happier than being free of cares and totally reliant on the Father, who is the ultimate satisfier.

Read the next installment (In Pursuit of Happiness - Part Four).

In Pursuit of Happiness - Part Two | 07.27.12

When we determine to find happiness on our own outside of GOD's way of doing things, the burden to maintain that happiness squarely falls upon our shoulders.  However, seeking to live according to GOD's precepts insures our happiness because our GOD, the Faithful GOD, guarantees it.  Scripture says, "Happy are the people whose GOD is the LORD" (Psalms 144:15).  Therefore, allowing GOD to be LORD over ALL frees us of any responsibility to find our own happiness.  He assumes the responsibility of creating happiness for us.  However, we must be willing to accept the happiness GOD freely makes available to us as our LORD.

The Word of GOD clearly instructs us how to be happy.  But somewhere along the way, we find ourselves believing that we--in our own limited understanding--know better than GOD's Word what works for us.  If we are really honest with ourselves, we would admit that we get ourselves into more trouble than the enemy can be blamed for bringing.  Choosing to do anything contrary to GOD's way of doing things is the result of our own lack of belief that GOD will provide what will satisfy us.

WE determine what WE feel WE need right now, and WE go get it for OURSELVES instead of accepting as real and true the simple fact that GOD knows best what we require and has already seen to it that provisions are made for us.  Our problem is that we fail to make the connection that doubting both GOD's ability and His desire to provide ALWAYS leads to disobedience.  When we allow unhappiness to overtake us, THEN we choose to sin because human nature translates unhappiness as being suffering.  And when we experience suffering, human nature interprets that as our cue to take matters into our own hands and bring about for ourselves the satisfaction we so desire.

Check out "In Pursuit of Happiness - Part One" as well as "In Pursuit of Happiness - Part Three".

In Pursuit of Happiness - Part One | 07.24.12

During my initial time of meditation on "happiness," the first scripture that came to mind was, "Happy are the people whose GOD is the LORD" (Psalms 144:15).  At first, I wasn't sure why the Holy Spirit would bring this scripture to my remembrance, other than the fact that it was the only one of relevance I could recall.  However, as I continued to just repeat the scripture to myself, something finally clicked.  Happiness may, in fact, be dependent on what's happening for some people; but we, the redeemed of the LORD, can be happy no matter what's happening because our GOD is the LORD.  

When we perceive all the happenings of our lives as being under the lordship of Jehovah, we can move beyond the emotional responses characteristic of our human instincts AND STILL BE HAPPY.  Our GOD dominates all situations and causes all things to work for our good.  We profess to love GOD and know that we are called according to His purpose, as we confess Romans 8:28.  Therefore, it's in that confession and understanding that we must begin to see how our relationship with GOD is designed to override the default settings of our carnal psyche.

Don't be convinced of this notion that we're just human beings trying to have some kind of spiritual experience.  Salvation creates for us the experience of Heaven on Earth NOW to the intent that we reconnect with who we really are: spirit beings having a human experience.  Our relationship with GOD makes it possible for us to hone our focus in to see the bigger picture: we are a happy people simply because our GOD is the LORD.  He's got ALL of this, He's our Source and we can trust Him to provide for every area of our lives.

Read the next installment (In Pursuit of Happiness - Part Two).

In Pursuit of Happiness - Introduction | 07.21.12

Over the years, it's been ingrained in me that happiness is dependent on what "happens," whereas joy is independent of the circumstances.  I have--more or less--held on to that for quite some time; however, a conversation got me to thinking about happiness all over again.  This conversation both touched my heart and stirred my thoughts in a way that doesn't happen often.  It led me to meditate on what it really means to be happy because there are so many people--believers and unbelievers alike--who are unhappy and willing to do almost anything to simply be happy.  

I can't even convey how my heart ached as I sat there and listened because I had no words.  I felt helpless, like I couldn't do a single thing but be present in the moment and attentive to what was being said.  To the soul who opened up to me, it meant the world.  But I was truly at a loss for what to say, and that bothered me.  And as hurtful a sting as it was, the emotional reaction I had to my inability to say anything was humbling.  GOD allowed me to experience that moment so I would be motivated to seek His thoughts on the matter because simply sharing my personal feelings wouldn't do a single thing for this person.

Never Cease To Worship | 07.08.12

While contemplating the power of worship a while back, I was inspired to post the following status update on the FHW Facebook page:

"As we worship and usher GOD's presence into our lives, it's the very weight of His glory that tips the scales of life situations in our favor.  So NEVER cease to worship..."

For those who may not know, there is an empowerment that comes with worshiping GOD.  It follows the release of cares and concerns regarding situations over which we, many times, have zero control.  When we choose to worship GOD, as opposed to worshiping problems via our worry, a holy activation begins to take place.  There's a rising up of GOD's power within us that lifts our countenance, changes how we perceive our situations and even manifests solutions.  Worship is indeed powerful because it's our way of letting GOD know that He is more worth our time, energy and resources than the many other things that daily tug on us.

By making GOD's presence in our lives a top priority, we position ourselves to daily witness GOD shifting His weight on our behalf.  GOD's glory does not show up where it's not welcomed.  Therefore, we must make a habit of ensuring the Holy Spirit is ALWAYS welcome in our lives and not just when we want something.  We must never let ourselves become overconfident.  In order to consistently see GOD's glory tip the scales of life situations in our favor, we must REQUIRE the presence of GOD.  Let's strive to increase the extremity of our sincerity, thereby causing us to do away with the foolishness of religion.  Let's focus on our faith and refuse to allow situations and circumstances to rob us of the joy of our salvation.  Be found in worship.  Be found exalting GOD above all else.  And we'll see His power manifest as His presence saturates our lives.

The Spirit Behind A Thought | 07.02.12

Words are thoughts communicated in written or audible form.  Therefore, the Word of GOD can be better understood as a record of GOD's thoughts.  But more than just that, GOD's Word bears His Spirit.  It is the Spirit behind GOD's Word that empowers it to manifest transformation.  The same goes for words that are contrary to GOD's.  Our adversary, the devil, also communicates thoughts in written and audible form.  And the demonic influence behind those thoughts are on assignment to manifest transformation, as well.  However, the Kingdom of Darkness does not seek to transform us for the better.  The demons behind those thoughts have every intention to establish strongholds in our lives when we choose to accept them as real and true.

We must be careful of the thoughts we entertain.  Every thought is either good or evil, so there's no in-between.  And behind every thought there is a spirit, so there's no such thing as it coming by happenstance.  Seeking to connect itself to us, the spirit behind a thought is a purposeful, skilled influencer specializing in physically manifesting through human anatomy ideas that originated in the unseen realm.  Believe it or not, we are indeed conduits for the physical realization of invisible, intangible thoughts that are not entirely our own.  In fact, we are motivated by inspiration to do everything we set our minds to accomplish.  As intricately made a species as we are, human beings are simply not intelligent enough to completely think on their own.  Our minds are literally highway systems for the trafficking of thoughts from the unseen realm requiring bodies to fulfill their respective purposes.  The task we've been given, as free will moral agents, is that of directing the traffic.