I Would Be Happy If ---?

I WOULD BE HAPPY IF ---- ?

By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com

A marriage can be made in heaven, but we must learn to maintain it here on earth.

Can marriage become a duel instead of a duet?

I. CAN HAPPINESS AND JOY BE A CHOICE?

A. Let us ask some questions and you ponder the answers in your heart.

B. A great teacher before the birth of Jesus Christ was named Socrates.

Socrates often taught his lessons by asking questions.

The Bible is full of great questions.

Cain ask ED: AM I MY BROTHER’S KEEPER?

JESUS OFTEN TAUGHT BY ASKING QUESTIONS.

Jesus asked: WHO IS YOUR THE NEIGHBOR?

C. ANWER THIS QUESTION:

I WOULD BE HAPPY IF: ___________________________________________.

D. What would it take to make you happy?

E. WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY?

Your friends can be like the buttons on an elevator, if you push the right one you go up, if you choose the wrong one you go down.

What makes you sad?

How long would you be happy if you received what it is that would make you happy?

F. How do you answer this question:

If you are not happy with what you have, will you be happy when you get what you want?

II. WE NEED TO DEFINE A FEW WORDS:

A. HAPPY

Favored by luck or fortune.

Fitting, well adapted.

Pleasant, glad, pleased.

Good fellowship, friendly.

In a pleased mood. Sunny, light hearted.

B. JOY:

The emotion evoked by well being, success.

To experience pleasure or delight.

C. When I see a little child in a new pair of shoes I ask them to jump.

Then I ask them if they can jump higher in their new shoes?

Almost every answer is the same: YES!

I am not sure that a child can jump higher in new shoes, but I will tell you, the child sure thinks he can jump higher.

WHY?

D. I think there are many differences between what is happiness and joy. But I also have to tell you it is hard to define those differences.

III. YOUR ENEMY KNOWS HOW IMPORTANT JOY CAN BE.

THERE IS A COORELATION BETWEEN JOY AND STRENGTH!

Neh. 8:10 Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the Lord is your strength.

IV. WE CAN HAVE AN UNHEALTHY SELF WORTH AND OPINION AND DOOM OUR JOY. IF YOU CAN NOT BE HAPPY WITH YOURSELF, YOU WILL NEVER BE HAPPY WITH OTHERS!

WE TEND TO PLAY THE BLAME GAME --- YOU ARE THE REASON I AM NOT HAPPY?

A. Why do we have problems with joy and happiness?

CAN ONE SEE JOY? HAPPINESS?

B. WHAT DO WE DO WHEN WE ARE FULL OF JOY?

We need a good healthy balance of self worth or we will have trouble getting along with others.

Matthew 19:19 Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.

V. THERE ARE MANY LITERARY DEVICES THAT HELP SPOKEN AND WRITTEN COMMUNICATION. ONE LITERARY DEVICE IS THE POWER OF REPETITION.

A. Every mom and school teacher knows that if you want a child to know something, say it more than once.

B. As the Holy Spirit was leading the old preacher to write a letter to the Philippians, the old preacher used the power of repetition.

C. In Philippians the 4th chapter there is a problem in the church.

Two ladies have had a disagreement and it has an effect on the church.

We do not know what Euodias and Syntyche are fussing about?

So the old preacher tells them to settle it and be in the same mind.

Philip. 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.

D. Paul had not forgotten he said REJOICE!

Paul used repetition to re-enforce his thought that God’s people must rejoice.

VI. PAUL HAD LEARNED TO BE CONTENT AND THAT CIRCUMSTANCES AND SITUATIONS CAN NOT DICTATE TO OUR EMOTIONS.

A. Discuss the difference in instinct and learning.

Deep joy is not instinctual, it is a discipline and learned emotion.

Philip. 4:11 Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.

B. We develop thought and behavior patterns of how we will react to what is happening around us.

We can underestimate the power of the words that we hear and speak to our joy and happiness.

C. Things cannot bring sustained joy.

There will always be conflicts of personalities and clashing of interests and opinions, so relationships will not bring joy all the time.

To win all the time does not bring great joy?