BE HAPPY!

LOVE IS SACRIFICE

August 23, 2022

LIVING IN THE POWER AND THE SPIRIT OF THE SON OF GOD

August 25, 2022

24th AUGUST 2022

“Blessed is the man that feareth the LORD, that delighteth greatly in his commandments.” Psalm 112:1

About 2400 years ago, the Greek philosopher Epicurus said that people were making three mistakes about where to direct their energy to be happy: over-valuing romantic relationships, money and luxury, under-valuing friendship and satisfying work and simplicity.

But true happiness is a gift from God and not dependent on our possessions or who we are. True happiness is not found in the world but comes from within; It does not fade away because it is of the Spirit of God. Since joy is a product of God’s spirit, therefore, we will have joy when we have and use God’s spirit. The best way to align with the Spirit of God is to obey God, render service to humanity, live the word of God, stay close to Him in daily prayers, and answer our calling to be a reflection of our Father in our day-to-day lives. That also means that happiness is a choice; Therefore, if we choose to do all these things, we shall be happy.

The quest for true happiness is an agelong search. The Bible says, “blessed is the man that feareth the LORD, that delighteth greatly in his commandments.” Therefore, in addition to you and me finding happiness by trusting in the Lord, we find it by surrendering our will to God’s Word and what He expects of us. That’s what delighting “greatly in his commandments” means.

Further to the above, note that our happiness is something that we choose for ourselves and the way we choose to live our lives; Happiness is not dependent on someone else’s rhythm as if that is our own. Our inner feeling creates happiness, and that is dependent on how we interpret the events of life.

Wisdom is a means to achieve happiness: ‘Happy are those who find wisdom, and those who get understanding”. (Proverbs 3:13-20). Knowledge assures us of everything good, including happiness, and it consists of knowing and respecting God’s laws. But even at that, happy people are not held hostage by their circumstances, and they do not seek happiness in people or possessions.

When our external situation is going well, it might make it easier for us to choose happiness, but it is not its cause. You can be happy even when things around you are nothing like you would like them to be. Therefore, true happiness comes from enjoying your own company and living in peace and harmony with God; It comes from making wise choices, including choosing to be happy.

PRAYER

Father, grant me the grace of obedience to your word so I may be happy. Let my joy be complete! AMEN

FURTHER READING: Psalm. 16:11; James 1:2; I John 1:4; Matt. 13:44

Mary Lawrence-Dokpesi

Mary Lawrence-Dokpesi was born in Nigeria to Patrick Abuda Obeakemhe and Juliana Fatimatu Obeakemhe, both from Ogbona Town. With a master’s degree in law, she was called to the bar at the age of twenty-two, and she is currently the principle partner of the law firm Mary Lawrence-Dokpesi & Associates. She is also the founder of two philanthropic organizations: the Living Waters Mission and the Rose Croix Foundation. In addition to law, Lawrence-Dokpesi was drawn to spiritual pursuits at an early age, having begun studying philosophy, theology, chaplaincy, and spirit therapy by the age of eighteen. Inspired by her spiritual calling, she has produced ten intensively researched manuscripts on spiritual matters. Although Understanding the Spiritual was the last to be written, it is the first to be published. Lawrence-Dokpesi is a mother and a wife living in the city of Abuja, Nigeria.