YOU HAPPY?

Have you thanked Him?

Have you praised Him?

Have you made it your priority to agree and cooperate with Him today?

Have you taken that deep breath and listened for what He has for you today?

ARE YOU SEEKING?

1 Timothy 2:1 (The Message)

^1-3The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know.

"Many persons have a wrong idea of what constitutes true happiness. It is not attained through self-gratification but through fidelity to a worthy purpose." ― Helen Keller

I love this little quote from Helen Keller.

To boil it down, true happiness doesn't come from "selfish living". True happiness doesn't come from "SELF GRATIFICATION". Where does true happiness come from?

I love the way she says it.

.FIDELITY to a WORTHY purpose.

Fidelity is defined as "loyalty".

It also means "strict observance" of promises. In other words fidelity is the COMMITMENT and DEDICATION to a cause or an idea.

Boy oh boy Helen was right on the money with this little nugget of wisdom.

I would even say it is inspired wisdom that is applicable to us on this journey of recovery and Christianity.

Why?

Because our happiness is found through fidelity to a WORTHY PURPOSE, following GOD!

Trouble is we tend to look for happiness via the self-gratification route instead don't we?

And then we wonder why we aren't happy.

The truth is when we let our selfish desires command our attention and "drive the bus" of our lives so to speak, we are in for trouble. When we think that the pursuit of self-gratification brings happiness, we couldn't be more misguided.

I know. Personally I know. I spent 15 years pursuing my wants, my needs, my desires and it left me bankrupt, almost homeless and very very sick.

And now as I spend time with other folks who have also been lured in and trapped by the lie of "self-gratification", Helen's words continue to ring true.

Happiness is NOT found in through self-gratification.

Quite the contrary, REAL HAPPINESS can only be found when we begin to deny ourselves and commit to a worthy purpose, living GOD's way, embracing GOD's plan for our life and submitting to GOD's will.

If you don't think so, just spend a couple minutes with me this morning in Galatians. Paul makes it crystal clear and backs up Helen's observations to the hilt.

Galatians 5:19-23

^19-21It is obvious what kind of life develops out of trying to get your own way all the time: repetitive, loveless, cheap sex; a stinking accumulation of mental and emotional garbage; frenzied and joyless grabs for happiness; trinket gods; magic-show religion; paranoid loneliness; cutthroat competition; all-consuming-yet-never-satisfied wants; a brutal temper; an impotence to love or be loved; divided homes and divided lives; small-minded and lopsided pursuits; the vicious habit of depersonalizing everyone into a rival; uncontrolled and uncontrollable addictions; ugly parodies of community. I could go on.

This isn't the first time I have warned you, you know. If you use your freedom this way, you will not inherit God's kingdom.

^22-23But what happens when we live God's way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard-things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely.

See what I mean?

So I encourage you today, why not take a second and examine what "drives the bus" for you. Is it your selfish desires? Is it your self-centered wants? Then ask "am I happy?"

If the answer is no or not really, then give up the wheel and let GOD have the bus for a minute the road to happiness is just ahead.

I love you all.

Have a blessed weekend.

Freedom Church

Pastor GDelaney