True happiness is found not in external circumstances, but in living a blessed life as defined by Jesus and bearing the fruit of the Spirit.
Hey guys, have you ever tried to drink from a leaky water bottle? (Hold up a water bottle with a hole in it). It's frustrating, right? You're thirsty, you take a sip, and the next thing you know, you're wearing more water than you drank. That's a lot like how we chase happiness. We think we've found it, and then it just leaks away.
God wants us to be happy. It's right there in Psalm 144:15. But we're often looking for happiness in the wrong places. We think that if we make the team, get the right grades, or have the right friends, we'll be happy. But those things can be like this leaky water bottle. They promise to quench our thirst for happiness, but they just leave us feeling empty.
We think we've found it, and then it just leaks away.
Jesus had a different idea about happiness. In the Beatitudes, He said things like 'Blessed are the poor in spirit' and 'Blessed are those who mourn.' That's a weird way to think about happiness, isn't it? But Jesus was saying that happiness isn't about what we have or what we do. It's about who we are in Him.
When we live the way Jesus taught, we start to bear good fruit. You know, like the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. That's the kind of stuff that makes us truly happy.
So, let's stop chasing happiness in all the wrong places. Let's start living the way Jesus taught. Let's be the kind of people who bear good fruit. And let's see what kind of difference that makes in our lives.
Let's pray together. God, help us to find true happiness in You. Help us to live the way Jesus taught. Help us to bear good fruit. And help us to be truly happy. Amen.
1. Where have you been looking for happiness?
2. How does Jesus' definition of happiness differ from the world's definition?
3. Which 'fruit of the Spirit' do you think you need most to experience true happiness?
4. How can you cultivate that fruit in your life this week?
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