So, when will you be happy?
Take time to ponder this question.
Is it the time when you receive that promotion you’ve been working hard for? Is it the time when you get married to your dream man/woman? Is it when you get your own house and lot? When?
Psalm 16:11
You will show me the path of life;
In your presence is fullness of joy;
At your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
As born-again christians, God’s presence is always in us and we are always in God’s presence. Therefore joy is always available to us.
How many here have been Christians for more than 5 years? How about those less than a year?
Sometimes I believe that the happiest people in the world are the newly born again Christians. I remember when I was just got born again for less than a year, I was the happiest man on earth. It is as if everyday there’s a liquid love surrounding me. I didn’t know anything about being a Christian and living for God. All I knew was that God loves me and sent Jesus to die for me. Everything went well until the Law came into the picture.
I heard about God wanting to bless me but I got to fulfill some requirements first. I even heard about, “Salvation is free but His blessings have conditions.” It sounded like a membership of an exclusive club- the membership may be free but you have to pay for the privilege of using the amenities. It didn’t sound like a good deal. But, of course I wanted God’s blessings! Then naturally I tried to fulfill the conditions to get blessed and naturally I failed. That brought condemnation to my life and that is how my Christian life deteriorated. Looking back, I realized that’s how I started to get burned out. How I became a”holier-than-thou Christian”. You know, the type of Christian that give Christians a bad name. Why? Because religion came in. Ever noticed that sometimes the religious people are among the most difficult people you can come across? This what Paul was warning the Galatian church about in Galatians 3:1-4
Galatians 3:1 ¶O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?
2 This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
3 Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?
4 Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain.
And the same thing that Jesus was warning about when He said in Matthew 16:6: “beware the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees”. Which meant the leaven of self-effort. The leaven of the Law. The Pharisees and Sadducees are known for this.
Leaven is what they used to mix with dough to make it fluffier. But the quality isn’t as good.
It’s like buying a loaf of bread that is mixed with bromate. Which is not good for your health.
You see in your Christian life, you need to always be on guard against self-effort mixed with grace. That is what you call a mixed gospel. And that is not the gospel at all. And it is actually dangerous. Why? Because the flesh will profit you nothing. (John 6:63)
When the Holy Spirit reveals to you that you are actually practicing a mixed gospel, or if you find yourself joyless, tired or burnt –out, it is highly likely that you have been living your life from your own strength. In other words, you are performing for the Lord out of your own strength.
When that happens, do like David did in Psalm 51:12
“Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,
And uphold me with Your generous Spirit.”
Remember how wonderful it was like when you first received Jesus in your life?
God made is so simple for us. The way that you received Him, is the way that you will live your life. Or rather God’s life in you. It is said in Colossians 2:6
As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him…
It is as simple as that..
And if we go down the verse further on verse 8, God is warning us something:
..Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.
What is the tradition of men? What is the basic principle of the world? Corporate workers, how do you get promoted in your job? By merit system. Or some would even resort to underhanded tricks. In short, you got to have done something to get promoted. You got to be hardworking, talented, or at the very least, in cahoots with your boss. But according to Christ it is different. It is all by grace. Meaning, there is nothing you could do or could have done to deserve it. How did you get saved? By grace. How do you live your life? By grace.
In fact, all that blessings of God He can only give you by grace and nothing else.
The blessings of God: If you had to work for it, you could not afford it.
How do I get promoted, then? Does it mean I will just sit and do nothing? Some would surely say, “since it’s by grace, can I afford not to report for work for 1 month without proper leave then come back expecting to be promoted?” Well, if you think that then that means you don’t understand Grace at all. Grace does not make you lazy. Grace empowers you to do things that you cannot do by your strength.
The bible says, grace makes you labor more abundantly than they all…
In the meantime that you are waiting for your promotion or your breakthrough, you just keep on focusing on Jesus. As you focus on Him, you allow His grace to work on your life. You got to trust God’s perfect timing. That there’s a process to everything that He does.
Sometimes you may wonder, how come you are in this position when you know in your heart that you are called for something else.
Just wait on the Lord. Trust Him.
I remember what Pastor Paul Chase shared before. Many years back when he was first starting out, he knew he was called by God to serve in the ministry. At that time he didn’t know that he would be the Senior Pastor of New Life Church, much less serve and stay in the Philippines for more than 25 years! He wasn’t sure what but God led him to work as a waiter. A waiter! For some time he did that. And it was only until many years later that he realized that God used that to train him to be more personable. Which is a basic requirement in being a Pastor. Because he wasn’t like that before.
And what he said made an impact in my life: “Preparation time is never wasted time.”
Listen, if God gave you P1Million today, would you know what to do with it? To ask another question, would you be happy and thank God for it?
Remember the principle of faithfulness God showed in Luke 16:10-12? “He who is faithful in little will be faithful in much and he who is not faithful in little will not be faithful in much.” It applies to you being thankful also.
So if you are thankful in what you have right now, you will be also thankful when God promotes you. And if you are not thankful, well, you get the idea.
Church, what do you have right now? Small salary? Thank God you have a job! No job? Be thankful you are hearing the Word right now! Because only the Word can change not just your situation, but your life as well.
Don’t allow your dream to dictate whether you are happy or not.
Happiness is a direct result of thanksgiving. Because thanksgiving opens your eyes to the blessings that God has already given you. I remember what my Pastor said: “If you look to Jesus, you become grateful. If you look at yourself, you become selfish.” And believe me, there’s always something to complain about when you look to yourself: Things should be this, things should be that..etc.
God is always blessing you 24x7. Open your eyes to the “Wow” moments of God! This principle changed my life. If you have a pen and paper write this down:
Don’t keep looking out for the spectacular that you miss out on God’s supernatural.
Spectacular- all debts cancelled overnight! Cancer, wiped out instantly! Loved ones saved overnight!
Supernatural- you not getting cancer, waking up in the morning next to your loved one, you breathing and not paying for it. God providing day after day, putting food on the table. Having a good nights sleep. YOU being alive right now. It is as simple as that. It’s ok to be simple because if you think about it, it’s not really simple. There’s a saying that you never really appreciate something until you’ve lost it. If you’re from the world, that saying is true. But we are not. Our eyes are open. So many people are paying lots of money for the things that we normally take for granted: sleep, rest, good relationships, life, etc.
You got to appreciate these things. Once you do, you will realize that truly ,truly, God is good.
In everything give thanks….
In everything. Not “for” everything.
Ladies and gentlemen, God wants you happy. God wants you joyful. In fact, that is why Jesus came here. Not just to save us from sins but to joyful and overflow with life.
John 10:10 AMP
The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows)
Money is a low level thing. In fact, all the things that the world offers are low-level things. Sure, they are important to live. But God told us not to worry, for after all these things, the gentiles seek (those who don’t know Him) but seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you. (Matthew 6:32-33)
Who is the King? - Jesus.
Who is God’s righteousness revealed? - Jesus.
When you look at Jesus, you are not just seeking, but actually have already found His Kingdom and His righteousness. Which is in you. Or rather, Who is in you. And that is Jesus Christ.
Practice the presence of God by being thankful. Everywhere you go and in everything you do. At work, in the bus, in the shower, etc. as you practice His presence, you will find yourself in joy no matter what circumstance you are in. That’s what Paul and Silas did in the book of Acts. Remember that? They were imprisoned unjustly. And you know what they did? They sang hymn and praises to the Lord. And that prison became a church.
Thankfulness is focusing on Jesus. And as you focus on Him, wherever you are, you are on the right track. Listen, it can never be too late for a Christian. The will of God is not a plan. It is a person. Trust His leadership. Just enjoy His presence. And whatever things you’ve been believing for, you will just find yourself saying:
“Wow! Look at what the Lord has done and it is wonderful in my eyes!” Hallelujah!
