God Bless Us With Happiness - Part Iii

When we fail to give of ourselves and of the goods that God has given us, we fail ourselves. We cheat ourselves. And perhaps this is why so many people are miserable.

ILL.- The general manager of the Trees ‘n Trend store is a good friend of mine and HE ALWAYS SEEMS HAPPY, JOYFUL OR JOY-FILLED. Why? I know one reason for sure. He is a giver. He is quick to respond to the needs of others. For years, he has gone to nursing homes to minister to people and give them fruit just for the fun of it.

Some people I know won’t even darken the door of a nursing home, but my friend goes to minister. He goes to every room and offers to pray for the people and he often takes them fruit as a gift. AND HE IS A HAPPY MAN! Surely this must tell us something!

Acts 20:35 Jesus is quoted as saying, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” The greater blessing comes from giving, not in getting.

If you are not as happy or joyful as you think you should be, perhaps there is a very good reason.

CONCLUSION--------------------------------

ILL.- Dennis Wholey, author of "Are You Happy?" reports that according to expert opinion, only 20 percent of Americans are happy.

One prominent psychiatrist said, "Happiness is an imaginary condition, formerly attributed by the living to the dead, now usually attributed by adults to children and by children to adults."

In other words, happiness is something that we think someone else has. We think or say, "He must be happy. Look at his job. Look at the car he drives, the house he lives in, the money he has, etc."

Brothers and sisters, I think happiness boils down to a proper focus. We must focus on eternity, not earth. People, not possessions. Service, not self. God’s grace, not our goodness. The Spirit, not the flesh. Positives, not negatives. Praising, not griping. And giving, not getting.