Thursday 31 August - Does God Want Us to be Happy?

Introduction

Sometimes, difficult circumstances can make us unhappy. Maybe we’ve fallen out with someone. Perhaps we’re finding our schoolwork difficult. Some of us are grieving the loss of a loved one. Maybe you’ve lost your job and you’re finding it difficult to obtain another one. Perhaps you’re lonely. When we find ourselves in difficult circumstances, we can sometimes wonder if God wants us to be happy on earth or not.

Worrying If We'll Ever Feel Happy Again

You may even feel there’s nothing you can do about your difficulties. You worry that you’ll never be happy again. If that’s how you feel, then tell Jesus. The great thing is, he already knows, and he stands ready to help you. Christ is powerful and he is willing to provide you with the strength you need. When we rely on him, Christ gives us his strength. We don’t have to do it in our own strength.

Does God Want Us to be Happy on Earth?

The answer is to rely on Christ’s strength rather than our own failing resources. It's the key to happiness in difficult circumstances. Tell him you can’t do it. He is ready and waiting to respond.

Think It Over

Think about the following:

What happens when you try to deal with your problems in your own strength? Does it make you happy?