Happiness

Happiness is not having what you want; it is wanting what you have, or as we have seen before, it is being at a place of contentment.

  Paul will say this to us in PHI 4:11 "Not that I speak from want; for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am."

 Phi 4:12 "I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need."

Phi 4:13 "I can do all things through Him who strengthens me."

  The word for content is the noun autarkes which means contentment, to be content, to be self-sufficient. It actually describes the happiness of the believer in spiritual adulthood.

 The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts; therefore, you should guard the type of thoughts that you allow into your soul. You should be careful that you do not entertain any thoughts unsuitable to virtue and impersonal love.

  This is why Paul said to the Philippians in PHI 4:8 "Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any virtue and if anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things."

  In fact, happiness and virtue rest upon each other; the best are not only the happiest, but the happiest are usually the best.

 The truth is that all of us attain the greatest success and happiness possible in this life whenever we use our capacities to their greatest extent. It's our capacity that allows us to experience happiness.

  That's why HEB 13:5 says "Let your lifestyle be free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, "I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you."

 There is only one way to happiness and that is to cease worrying about things which are beyond the power of our will. An unhappy person is involved with egotism, selfishness, evil, or absolute ignorance.

  Happiness is a way of life. In fact, happiness requires problems.

  As Paul will say to us in Phi 4:4 "Be happy in the Lord always; again I will say, be happy!"

Phi 4:5 "Let your forbearing spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near."

Phi 4:6 "Be anxious for nothing [stop worrying about anything], but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God."

Phi 4:7 "And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

 You'll never realize how happy you are until you go through certain problems and find out that your happiness has not been taken away.

1Pe 1:3 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead."

1Pe 1:4 "to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you,"

1Pe 1:5 "who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time."

1Pe 1:6 "In this you greatly rejoice [you have inner happiness], even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials,"

1Pe 1:7 "that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ;"

 1Pe 1:8 "and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with an inexpressible happiness and full of glory [a reference to a soul structure which thinks with God],"

 Happiness is not a reward for doing something; it is a consequence. In the Biblical realm, it is the consequence of taking in doctrine.

Pro 3:13 "Happiness belongs to the person who finds wisdom, even to the person who gains understanding."

 We tend to forget that true happiness doesn't come as a result of getting something we don't have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have. This is where capacity comes in once again.

 It is not the place, nor the condition, but the mind alone that can make anyone happy or miserable.

Pro 23:7 "For as he thinks within himself, so he is."

Pro 17:22 "A happy heart is good medicine, But a broken spirit dries up the bones."

 Happiness is learning to understand rather than to immediately judge.

  A person can save himself from many hard falls by refraining from jumping to conclusions. If you could only take some time to understand all the facts rather than immediately judge someone, you will experience a tranquil life, a life of peace and happiness.

 Happiness means not following the majority and accepting their approach toward life.

  A happy person is one who makes up his own mind, has his own convictions, and doesn't allow himself to be manipulated.

 Happiness is not allowing yourself to indulge in the usual manipulation that goes on in life.

 Happiness is coming to understand that life is best to be lived and not to be conceptualized or just considered.

  A happy person is not afraid to live and is not afraid to fail.

M) A person is happy because they are growing daily and not thinking of where the limit lies.

  Every day there can be a new revelation or a new discovery about life and about God. The happy person lives one day at a time and enjoys himself.

 Happiness is also being able to treasure the memory of past misfortunes.

  In fact, happiness isn't something you just experience; it's something you remember.

 The happiest people are those who think the most interesting thoughts. Those who decide to use leisure as a means of mental development, who love good music, good books, good pictures, good company, good conversation, are the happiest people in the world. They are not only happy in themselves, but they share their happiness with others.

 It is not how much we have, but how much we enjoy, that makes happiness.

  The key to true happiness is a change in our mental attitude.

To read more about The Doctrine Of Happiness go to:

http://www.gbible.org/index.php?proc=d4d&sf=rea&did=26