Where Happiness Comes from (A little note in response to the article: Is Feeling Good Always What Motivates Us?)

Give me happiness, O Lord, for I give myself to you. (Psalm 86:4 NLT)

When making a concerted attempt to define happiness in the context of the earth, it is agreeable that happiness is elusive. But, understanding what happiness means from God’s perspective is definable. 

During a search for an academic article, I came across this article entitled Is Feeling Good Always What Motivates Us?

No uncertainty that the the author wrote the text from an atheistic point of view. And that is where it inspired me to devise a brief note in opposition to some of the points in it. 

Foremost, I would like to underline the fact that God is the only source of happiness. Today we inhabit in a perverse society where the system seems to dictate how we ought to be living. Happiness tends to be a calculation basis. This brings up to wealth, education, property, relationship, medication, lifestyles, friendship, et cetera. Altogether these are likewise described in the article and which I agree to some.

My contention is that, in the definition of many denominations, Christianity seems counterbalanced. There is the division of doctrines and spiritual practices.  Some support the belief that the Christian’s pious reward awaits him in heaven.  But, some declare that he does not need to travel as far as passing through the various skies to get his blessings as they are here on earth for him. With the jostling of the believer here and there, by many doctrinal viewpoints, I am certain he only needs the Holy Spirit to show him the truthful path. 

If a Christian does not live a happy life and experience happiness here on land, then what sort of God is he serving? For the faithful, living a virtuous life means obeying the commandments of the Lord. A true Christian doesn’t steal, fights, cause trouble, et cetera. He won’t disobey the law of his society, because he knows what the words of God instruct. We are to honor and respect our leaders even if they are not believers like us. All these are mere instructions to orient the path of the righteous (Proverbs 119:105). Despite, the believer knows that, irrespective of his law-abiding standards he needs to maintain unwavering relationship with God. 

We exist not by our power and strength in this testing period (Zechariah 4:6). If that is the case, we would be unable to withstand the circumstances surrounding us. The fact that being happy cannot prevent many people from committing suicide in the name honour, and in depression portrait that God is the only decent source of genuine happiness. 

And to get that, we need to get closer and closer to the throne of Grace where the mercy and His peace that transcends all human understanding (Philippians 4:7) will protect us in any situations. And we do this by daily communion, meditation, prayer and studying the word of God. 

AMEN

Lord, are you talking to me?

High and low, rich and poor—listen! (‭Psalms‬ ‭49‬:‭2‬ NLT)

When God speaks, what do we hear?  His voice or the auditory sensation of our thoughts?
Between late 2014 and early 2015, something strange happened to me. Perchance this was not the first time, but this incident came well pronounced. From nowhere, I started having fixation on the word —diabetes. 
My eyes would lead straight to pick  that word in advertisements; billboards, radio talk shows, prints and from people’s conversations. One day, I was arriving into London from Heathrow airport and inside the tube was an advert on checking  whether one has diabetes by testing to a given number. And because my sentiments on it had already become so strong, I followed that instruction.  A couple of days later, I received a full-page letter, instructions on how-to-find-you’re-diabetic, plus a pedometer. They trusted me to turn to sport!  I bet they must have read me through about my laziness in exercising! 
Earlier long, I began to believe it that I have diabetes. When I told my mother, she answered in the usual layman’s interpretation that I’ve got ‘too much sugar’ in me. That was the kickoff of her continuously advising me to see my doctor for lab test. She made sure she reminded me of this each day I phoned her. 
Along my own side, I concluded I am diabetic and there’s no way the lab result won’t affirm it. At that instant, my hormonal acne was at its highest peaks without any explanation whatsoever. This was enough to append to the mathematic that I was indeed diabetic. 
Without any fear, I saw my doctor. This was for something else, but I requested for a blood exam to clear my head. 
Considerably, the test came back negative. I am not a diabetic. In that respect and then, all the thoughts I had accumulated about diabetes as well as the bizarre daily fixation disappeared. Yeah, just like that. 
I thought it was finally over. Unfortunately, God was not done with me. Somewhere between January and February, a friend of mine and I played with our university course leader who was heavily pregnant and was due anytime. On the spur of the moment, she announced she was going to deliver any moment because she just found out that she had DIABETES!
What? Oh yes! 
Thus, the message wasn’t for me after all but for her! My fixation begun long time ago before she was informed! This implies that I was sent to her, but I missed the opportunity to deliver the message. 
Sad, right? The fact that many of us, like me, would scarcely have failed to comprehend God’s message. How many times have we prayed endlessly for God to employ us, but we are not receptive enough to tune in perfectly to get the picture. 
All along, I riveted on me. I mean, the me-me attitude caused me to bypass the true recipient. That day, I ended up telling her the true, and I found myself looking sheepishly as I apologised to her. Today, I wondered why I told her that I’m sorry. Perhaps to clear my conscience, or perhaps I was ashamed of my shortcomings. Probably, I would have changed something if I had informed her prior at that time. She did not take her pregnancy to term as the child came earlier than expected.  This was the consequence of my failure to connect with the Lord and His message. Above all, I am glad she and her baby are safe, and vocalize.  For certain, God forgave me for missing out. 
Why me? Why did God send this task through me? Do I worth it? Maybe. Will I realize such a mistake another time? Possibly. Subsequently all, I am human, and it assumes only the divine grace of God to really be accessible to His directives. 
I don’t think I am alone in this. How many of us lost the message when God speaks to us? Millions of Christians, I assume. We are excessively preoccupied with our personal details of life. The ‘I’ first attitude comes to abide in our ways, blocking the road to His charges. 
Are we listening when our Father speaks. Does He? Oh absolutely, He does! Why do we think the Holy Ghost is with us?  He is not simply with us to teach us about God but to deliver Jehovah’s messages to us. I don’t believe there is ever a loving father somewhere that would abandon his children? The fact that he is ‘loving’ is enough to portrait his kind personality and his fatherly support. 
The same goes for our relationship with God. He is in that respect, and He wants us not just to have the Lord-bless-me-give-me relationship with Him. He always wants more. He desires to use us as His instruments of peace, of healing, of being the carriers of goodwill and faith. 
Then when next God is talking to us, are we going to listen? Are we going to come ready to obey without first thinking about the self? 
Lord, aid us to be the bearers of your tidings now and forever more, in Jesus’ precious name we pray,
AMEN 

  

 

 

Conversation with God

The life of the godly is full of light and joy, but the light of the wicked will be snuffed out. (‭Proverbs‬ ‭13‬:‭9‬ NLT)

I found the Lord 
And 
He’s blessed me with so much. 
My life, my sentiments, my delusions. 
The darkest nights of my delusional.  
All that I ask for is your grace, O Lord! 
Your grace, nothing but your grace. 
The days are lengthy, obscure and extensive. 
The nights are bright for nothing. 
What good does a light without cheerfulness?
Grant me the sage to face the world.
Give me the boldness of solidity.
Grace the palms that feed me.
Bless the souls that pray for me.
Rinse off shame from those forces that comfort me. 
2.
There is a shadow on every path.
The man asks if life indeed exists.
The woman requests if there’s a genuine love.
The child requires a moment without abuse.
The unborn poses on the necessity to be born.
The womb wonders on the passage of life.
3. 
Lord, it was useless, 
When a mere mortal question your existence.
Lord, it was useless,
When first love metamorphoses to hatred. 
Lord, it was useless, 
When a blissful union ends in savage battle.
Lord, it was useless, 
When a man lusts sinfully after little girls. 
4.
What is useful to you, Heavenly Father? 
A heartbeat of thankful. 
A pathway filled with appreciation.
A warm core of humility. 
A happy face over wrapped in a daily smile. An open arm of forgiveness. 
A mortal body of true friendship. 
5. 
We will go away
Blown into the air like the toxic wasteland. 
We will dissolve away 
Wash into the ocean like rain water. 
We will be wiped out 
Delete from all memories of ever-present. 
Rich or poor, stable or wobbling, tall or little,
Upright or downright, learned or dunce,
It will not count anymore. 
Just a matter of time though
And
The chapter is concluded. 
6.
What really matters then?
God. 
Trust me or curse me-
He alone matters. 
We ask ourselves why?
No need to ask the reason why.
Cause we need to? 
Oh Lord, help me out here! 
Tell them what matters to you? 
Tell them to reconsider their way? 
Tell them a moment 
And
It is finished. 
7.
I salute you, darling Father
For a life as beautiful as this of mine
I hail you, handsome Jehovah 
For everything and everyone. 
It isn’t true everything is nothing.
What is nothing is not having a purpose. 
I honour you forever, Dear God. 
Only You, it not about me anymore more. 
Oh yes! 
Long ago it ceased to be about me. 
8. 
Take me as I am and brush off the debris 
The leftover dirt of anger, 
Of malice
Of grudges 
Of hatred
Of contempt 
Of jealousy 
Of envy
Of revenge. 
Calculate the courses of my life
And 
Tell me how many years I’ve got left. 
Tell me how much time I’ve wasted in 
Procrastinating when I need to get things done.
Tell me how many times I’ve fallen out 
Of your grace and messed myself up.
Tell me if I still need some mind cleansing —To scrub out the dead details of my life,
To clear the shafts of narcissistic plots.
9.
Daddy, please don’t let me end my life by
Taking others with me. 
I came alone 
And 
I will go alone. 
In fear, help me to see you. 
In panic, show me calmness. 
In horror, grant me peace knowing you are there. 
In desperation, talk to me in a loud voice,
And not just in signs and dreams. 
10.
What else do I need? 
What else is missing? 
What else is unaccomplished?
What else is between the two worlds?
Life here, 
A better life over there.  
Which is preferable? 
For now, oh Lord, help me 
To be grateful for the moment, 
To find joy in living in the moment. 
Peace.  

Aloha

No, I have never sinned by cursing anyone or by asking for revenge. (‭Job‬ ‭31‬:‭30‬ NLT)

The healing is incomplete without proper letting go. Only when the road is clear that the recovery process started. However, sometimes, even when the road is completely cleansed, healing may not occur until thorough forgiveness has taken place. 

How does one expect a man who lost his wife to a hit-and-run drunk driver to forgive? How can a woman whose ten-year-old daughter was sexually assaulted by their 60-year-old male neighbor pardons the man? 

Forgiveness is a complicated channel to restoration. Still, it is highly required in order to open the doors of grace. 

It is really fast to hold the other person responsible for one’s misfortune. Other times, the crime committed is severe we concluded  we cannot get courage to forgive those hurt us. 

Only with God’s assistance and support can all emotional pain and wreck go away. No one can get it made out in secrecy. The healing process must take place and be done without keeping anything back, otherwise; one will be confronted by the invisible barriers all the time. 

In Jesus’s precious name, 

Amen