Authentic Happiness

J.L. Williams, USA

“Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness.”
Matthew 25:21–23

Happiness is one of the most persistent aspirations of the human spirit. It is consistently one of the highest priorities that people give for their lives. To “be happy” is a goal of virtually every normal human being.

Obviously, millions of Americans have not been successful in the “pursuit of happiness.” Happiness has eluded them. The very fact that there are so many millions of Americans who are addicted to alcohol and drugs proves that they have not found lasting happiness. Depression and suicide rates sadly show the deadly level of unhappiness with which millions of people live and die.

Authentic happiness only comes from God. As our good and gracious Abba Father, God wants His people to be happy. He is not some celestial Scrooge who wants His children to be miserable! He loves to give good gifts to His children (Matthew 7:11; Luke 11:13). That is His nature.

Heaven is a place of eternal happiness beyond description or comprehension. Paul quoted this from Isaiah 64:4: “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived—the things God has prepared for those who love him—these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit” (1 Corinthians 2:9–10). So if heaven is a place of eternal happiness beyond our wildest imagination, God gives us small foretastes of it here on earth. But it only comes His way.

The bottom line is this: happiness only comes by living for and serving others, especially those who are most needy. Jesus lovingly lured His disciples with the ultimate reward of eternal heavenly happiness. This eternal bliss was reserved for those who selflessly ministered to the hungry, thirsty, stranger, naked, sick, and the prisoner. To them Jesus said the Father would one day say: “Well done, good and faithful servant!”

Therefore, happiness is a choice. It is a choice to serve God by serving others. Happiness is a by-product. Serving is the root; happiness is the fruit. We only find happiness when we quit looking for it. When we seek God and His glory through serving others and meeting needs, happiness abounds in our lives!

I am eternally grateful that my parents taught me this principle when I was young. They said, “Son, if you want to be happy in life, give yourself to a cause greater than yourself. Serve other people. Live to meet needs. Look around; the happiest people you will ever meet in life are the ones who are serving others. And the most miserable people are the ones who want everyone to serve them!”

I have sought to live my life by that very simple, but profound Christian philosophy. And I certainly have not done it perfectly or consistently. But whenever I have done so, serving others has made me one of the happiest people on earth! Truly, I am a happy man! Life doesn’t get any better than that!