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RE: Are you happy? - 9/13/2008 4:42:27 AM
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Liveloved
Posts: 1838
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I think there is a transcendent state of happiness or blessedness that comes from being firmly rooted in the love of God. Being filled up to all the fullness of God, knowing the riches of His grace, IS happiness.
That is not to say that each and every moment finds you with a smile on your face or laughing. This life brings difficulty. It would be dishonest for us to be perpetually gleeful. But in the midst of the pain, can you rise above and intercede for those who have done the wickedness? Can you thank the One Who is interceding on your behalf? Can you thank and praise Him that though there is much you do not like and do not understand, you know He is sovereignly working ALL, every little thing and big thing, for good for you and ALL those who love Him?
Can we be like Jesus in Gethsemane, weeping tears of blood, but happily in the will of the Father? I think so. That is where I want to be.
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RE: Are you happy? - 9/13/2008 8:50:27 AM
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makarizo
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I am blessed by the grace of God, and depending on which translation of the bible you pick up, that means I am happy =)
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RE: Are you happy? - 9/13/2008 9:01:56 AM
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mvic
Posts: 1542
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TorchHeart,
You say: "My point. God will help us IF it serves His will."
What I'm saying is: We should learn to accept His will. And in doing so we will have that certainty that He loves us and will take care of us.
It pains me greatly to say this. At my Opening Post my "happiness" score was at 7.5; by Post No. 42 it was 10.
I have just learnt that a very dear person to me, a young normally very healthy person, is not well.
(Perhaps you'd join me in the Prayers Forum to pray for this person).
Obviously, my "happiness score" dropped suddenly. Happiness at any given time goes up and down depending on circumstances. However, the point of my thread is that Christian people have a positive (happy, joyful, call it what you like) outlook on life.
I know for a fact that God is in control in this situation. Perhaps He is testing my Faith. Perhaps He is testing that person's Faith. But He is in control. His will be done. Not mine, not that person's, not yours.
Painful as it is, through gritted teeth even, I have accepted His will. I hope and pray that His will is that that person gets better. I trust Him enough to believe that His will, eventually, will work out for the good.
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Christian words of comfort at http://www.holyvisions.co.uk
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RE: Are you happy? - 9/13/2008 3:59:05 PM
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Concerto
Posts: 195
Joined: 10/20/2006
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I would say I am a 3. I have real serious health issues, no financial security, dead-end job, and a disconnect at church. So, basically, I am unhappy.
As far as those who say the subject of happiness is irrelevant, I would disagree. The Bible says a great deal about happiness.
But, the path to real happiness can be found through the Bible. Assurance, peace, contentment, and..joy, these are things which should be highly sought.
I do hope however that someday, when my circumstances are more favorable, that I will move from being unhappy..to being happy. There is nothing wrong in wanting to be happy....
C
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RE: Are you happy? - 9/13/2008 5:15:57 PM
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deermousie
Posts: 1859
Joined: 9/26/2007
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quote:
ORIGINAL: TorchHeart
That sounds nice, but it doesn't give me any reason to be "joyful" all the time, with all due respect. I'm more with agapetos' view, only slight more realistic about it, too.
God calls His throne room a courtroom, and so it is. He reigns above all, and He is the Righteous Judge. Picture yourself standing before Him, naked. All of your life is visible and there's nothing God doesn't know about you. If you are human, it's reasonable to think that you are toast. We all are sinners, and we are filthy before a holy God. Then Jesus comes, stands next to you, puts His hand on your (filthy) shoulder and says, "TorchHeart believed in Me and has been clothed in My righeousness for years." And God the Righteous Judge says (oh, how unbelieveably sweet!), "Well done, you good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of My Kingdom!" At that point, any trouble you had in life recedes to insignificance, and is forgotten forever.
You'll be dancin'. Who wouldn't be? Your troubles are to shape you to be more like Him and to teach you to trust Him who never lets us be tempted beyond which we can tolerate, but with the trouble gives us a way to get get through it. 1 Cor. 10:13 He's going to wipe the tears away from your eyes personally. You'll see the nail prints in His hands and know your sin put them there, and He did it joyously because He knew it meant you'd come live with Him forever later. He's happy about that! You are loved, forgiven and accepted in the Beloved.
That makes me happy. The trouble I'm having is nothing in comparison. God wins in the end and carries me along with Him.
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Want to know where a certain word or phrase in the Bible is found? www.biblegateway.com Yay!
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RE: Are you happy? - 9/13/2008 5:31:13 PM
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deermousie
Posts: 1859
Joined: 9/26/2007
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You're quite right, TorchHeart - joy and happiness aren't the same things. Happiness (superficial and temporary) is a full mind and an empty gut, a doctor once told me (I used to work for this guy). Joy is a more internal state rather than fleeting feeling, and really, we should differentiate.
I am happy when my kid calls me from college with a good grade report. I am not happy when I'm exhausted and heat deranged (from fencing all morning - why did I think I could do this?) and my husband yells at me for not knowing what Kava is. To his credit, he didn't really yell, he was just having a caffeine headache and wanted me to make him something I'd never heard of (and he was mumbling. Yes he was). We wound up having a long talk about communication after this, and our marriage is better (and he got his Kava: instant coffee. Oh). But I can't work like I could in my 20s, I'm close to being poor and my husband is only now starting to realize he can't store building materials in the living room for years at a time. "House Beautiful" cancelled its photo shoot a long time ago.
A thousand years from now this won't matter, so it's up to me to decide what's worth dealing with now and what needs to roll off my back like water off a duck. And drag the lumber off the living room floor and put it outside. Done.
_____________________________
Want to know where a certain word or phrase in the Bible is found? www.biblegateway.com Yay!
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RE: Are you happy? - 9/13/2008 7:02:19 PM
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agapetos
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quote:
ORIGINAL: TorchHeart
quote:
God always wants to help us. The problem is with us. We don't see His actions, or lack of them, as help. We want it our way not His.
My point. God will help us IF it serves His will.
God always helps us. We don't always recognise that help though, either at the time or later.
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Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is not using them in fruit salads!
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