Thursday, May 11, 2023

Happy

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Philippians 4:4-8,13 “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! Let your

gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

 

Our small Group Bible study was reading a group of passages of Scripture, including the passage above, on the topic of “happiness”. The Greek word for rejoice (in the above passage) is “chairō”, meaning to rejoice exceedingly. The 1828 Webster’s dictionary defines the verb “rejoice” as: To experience joy and gladness in a high degree; to be exhilarated with lively and pleasurable sensations; to exult. The verb form of the word “joy” is defined similarly: To rejoice; to be glad; to exult, as in Habakkuk 3:18-19, “I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is my strength.”

 

Psalm 144:15 declares, “Happy are the people whose God is the Lord!” Happiness is something we have been striving to get all our lives ... the pursuit of happiness. It is the singular, most common life goal of all humans together. Yet, happiness is not a one-size-fits-all emotion. There are multiple ways to define and experience happiness, and understanding these differences can help us achieve a much more peaceful and satisfying life. 

 

The Greek Philosopher Aristotle theorized that in order to achieve true happiness, a person must live a life of morals and ethics. He proposed that when people constantly strive to be a better version of themselves, they tend to achieve a higher purpose and greater levels of happiness. This is called  “eudaimonic happiness”. In modern psychology, “hedonic happiness” is associated with instant gratification and short-term pleasure.

 

Psalm 146:5-6 “Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God, who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them; Who keeps truth forever.”

“Felicitas happiness” means "fruitful, blessed, happy, lucky") and is a condition of divinely inspired productivity, blessedness, or happiness. Felicitas may be translated as "good luck." While “beatitudo happiness” means supreme happinessblessednessbeatitude. Yet, “makarios happiness” is God’s divine happiness (not of this world), extended to His holy, redeemed people. Proverbs 16:20 proclaims, “Whoever trusts in the Lord, happy is he.” 


Be happy!

In Christ, Brian




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