Yes -- God wants us to be happy (See Eccl. 2:24; 3:12-13,22; 5:18-19; 9:9; 1 Pet. 3:10; 3 Jno. 2). There is no debate about this - God wants us to enjoy life here on earth, and be happy. He wants us to live joyfully, to see good days, and enjoy the rewards of our labor. But -- if we really want to pay attention to what God wants, lets observe this -- Not only does God want me to be happy, He also wants me to be holy!! (2 Cor. 7:1; Eph. 1:3-4; Heb. 12:10; 1 Pet. 1:15,16; 1 Pet. 2:5,9; 2 Pet. 3:11). And, we can do it! We can be happy (as defined by God), and at the same time we can be holy (as defined by God.) If we take our definitions and concepts and values from God - regarding both happiness and holiness, it is possible to be happy and holy at the same time. God does not want us to be happy if it involves sin, false doctrine, causing another to stumble, fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, or the pursuit of personal lusts. Real happiness is a product of being right with God (1 Pet. 3:8-12). By Warren E. Berkley From Expository Files 4.6; June 1997
Posted on: Thu, 27 Mar 2014 23:37:05 +0000
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