For Thought and Meditation - Tuesday, May 16

[Pine Baron]

Good morning all. Great message this morning. The pursuit of happiness is a God given right, not the guarantee of happiness. That's on us. Have a safe and blessed day.

Greatness Requires Responsibility
Hagee Ministries

But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. For each one shall bear his own load.
Galatians 6:4-5

One of the three unalienable rights endowed on Americans by our Creator, according to the Declaration of Independence, is the pursuit of happiness. It sounds so simple. However, the Declaration did not grant us the “guarantee” of happiness…only the right to pursue happiness. If God has granted us life and liberty, each one of us has the responsibility to pursue happiness.

We are responsible for how we reach our individual happiness. Each one of us chooses a path and pursues it until we possess it. The work and effort required for the end goal is where we sometimes get derailed. It turns out that the pursuit of happiness may be one of the greatest struggles of the human condition. This pursuit of happiness is not a guarantee; it is an opportunity. Each one of us is responsible for what we do with that choice.

In 1 John 4:4, John told the Ephesians that God has placed greatness inside of every believer. By virtue of Jesus living in our hearts, we have His greatness to meet every eventuality. As Winston Churchill once said, “The price of greatness is responsibility.” The battle for greatness is won and lost — not in a voting booth or on a ticket — but within each one of us.

What will we choose to do with the Greatness inside of us? How will we face down our giants? How will we handle lack? How will we reach out to those in need? What will be our attitude when opposition rises? Will we choose words that build up or tear down? How will we stand for the defenseless? Jesus paid the price for this greatness, but we are responsible to grasp its promise.

Lean into that greatness! Let’s apply ourselves — heart, mind, soul, and strength — into loving God and loving our neighbors (Luke 10:27). There, we will find the contentment, the fruitfulness, and the happiness of a life well lived.

Blessing:

Heavenly Father, thank You for the treasure of Your presence living inside of me. Help me to lay hold of that greatness. Help me to be responsible with this opportunity as I seek to do Your will every day. In Jesus’ name… Amen.

[GhostHawk]

The pursuit of material things in searching for happiness is destined for failure.

There is a whole subculture of those who have discovered this and are choosing a minimalist lifestyle.

A new Car, new house is not going to last long on the happiness scale. On the other hand making someone else's day shine can stick with you for a long time. Just takes a little thought and consideration. Even just a smile when someone was expecting a growl or a harsh word can make both days. Just stuff to think about.

[Wayne Smith]

I believe 'happiness' is the wrong goal. I don't know anywhere in the Bible where 'happiness' is a goal. Joy is, but happiness isn't. If you think about it, happiness, as we use the idea, is always a result of something else. Something makes me happy. Joy comes from the Lord and is not a result of anything but His presence in us.

Happiness is a futile goal, I cannot make it happen. Joy is always with me as long as Christ is in me. In fact, it bubbles up in the strangest times and circumstances.

[USMC87]

Amen, we are joyful only because of the One who put joy in our hearts.

[Pine Baron]

I suggest a different perspective. Happiness, as a God given right, is not as defined by current, contemporary definition, but defined by the historically more accurate "joy". Now that is biblically referenced.
Please see:https://www.beliefnet.com/inspiratio...happiness.aspx.

[WRideout]

It seems that many people these days follow the Epicurean philosophy; Life is not meaningful by achieving happiness, but rather in the elimination of unhappiness and pain. This inevitably leads to a life of substitutes for true living. Giving birth is painful and yet leads to one of the great joys of life.

Wayne

[Wayne Smith]

Pine Baron, I read your piece - and only one of the verses even mentioned 'happy' - and with that being from Psalms I wonder if it isn't a shallow translation of Shalom? The Bible talks about joy as being a basic concept, not happiness. Shalom is a fundamental sense of peace and contentment as a result of a good relationship with God, and that is far from our current concept of happy.

[Pine Baron]

Wayne, agreed. There is also the constitutional legal definition of the "pursuit of happiness" clause. I always interpret it as "freedom of opportunity". Regardless, It's a divine right, not one "granted" by a sovereign or government. Something we seem to be drifting away from. Speaking of drifting, I'll stop now, as I'm drifting my own thread.