Happiness and Sorrow

ALL – Psalm 67:1-7
ALL – Proverbs 11:27
OT – Deuteronomy 2:1-3:29
NT – Luke 6:12-38

What makes you sad? Pain? Being excluded? Insults? Being treated unfairly or unkindly? These wrongs and difficulties are the basis for many of the sad days I’ve experienced.

What makes you happy? Comfort? Wealth? Laughter and jokes? Being included? Receiving praises? Being super-respected? These certainly make me feel good.

At least, they did. But ever since Jesus expressed His perspective on these things, I’ve had to wrestle with my feelings. Apparently I am getting things backwards. I find happiness in the wrong things—in shallow things that won’t last. And I become sad for shallow reasons, too, when deep and wonderful gifts have been given to me and should give me joy!

What happiness it is when others hate you and exclude you and insult you and smear your name because you are mine! When that happens, rejoice! Yes, leap for joy! For you will have a great reward awaiting you in heaven. And you will be in good company—the ancient prophets were treated that way, too! But, oh, the sorrows that await the rich. For they have their only happiness down here. They are fat and prosperous now, but a time of awful hunger is before them. Their careless laughter now means sorrow then. And what sadness is ahead for those praised by the crowds—for false prophets have always been praised. – Luke 6:22-26, The Living Bible

So what should make us happy? Being included with Jesus and His family seems like the right answer. And what should make us sad? Having our best life now without any relationship with Jesus and His family—a tragedy in the making!

Are you happy? Or sad? And why? It’s so easy for our perspectives to get misguided by our feelings. Let’s look to Jesus and learn to let our perspectives shape our feelings, walking by faith and finding His happiness and joy.

To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.