Happiness

I received a birthday card with the following quote on it: Happiness is always an inside job.

This just rings true to my heart.  Considering I worked for a couple of bad decades on trying to get other people to make me happy and content (with no results), I can speak to finding the source of happiness inside yourself.

Of course, that isn't to discount God, who is the ultimate source of happiness and well-being.  But, somehow, I see this quote as inclusive of Him;  our relationship with God is something that begins inside of us, dwells in us, and overflows into the lives of others.  

I recently heard a pastor speaking on this issue of happiness and he quoted a recent study that concluded that the happiest people on earth share the following characteristics:  faith, family, community and work.

Most of us can accept the first three as gospel truth.  It is necessary to have a family and community around us to "complete" us, as we are social creatures and crave people and acceptance.  Faith is equally as understandable;  without it, most of us are lost, like a compass with no true North.

But work?  Really?  That one slightly surprised me.  But then, the longer it rolled around in my brain, the less it confused me.  See, God gave us work.

Sure, it may seem He was a wee bit teed at Adam when he declared that Adam would be "working the ground" as a result of his actions "cursing" the ground.  In fact, I think God was madder than a hornet, whatever that looks like, that He had to declare a judgment against Adam and Eve.  But, just like in parenting, when you draw a line and one of your little ones chooses willfully to step across it (even if their eyes are blinded by the evil one), you have no choice but to take action.

When Christ came, the word "work" took an interesting turn.  Work also meant proclaiming the gospel of Christ, speaking of His salvation, doing good works in His name, working out our own salvation.  But, lest the need for work on earth be forgotten, the gospels include the admonition that we are avoid idleness (2 Thessalonians 3:6-15), up to and including the statement "IF a man will not work, he shall not eat".

Thinking a bit further about work, though, I realize that it gives you purpose.  It keeps you from being idle and getting into trouble.  It causes your brain to engage and your muscles to function and fills your desire for social engagement.  Work underpins life.  Especially bringing a new life into this world!

So, we have reason to equate work with happiness.  When we are working "for the Lord", we are fulfilling His desire that we should know Him better.  When we are working for people, we are fulfilling His desire that we witness in His name.  The fruit of our work is providing for ourselves and our families and being proud of what we accomplished.

I, for one, can think of no better way to be happy than to know that the work I am doing here on earth is pleasing to God above.

What do workers gain from their toil?  I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race.  He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.  I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live.  That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God.  I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it.

God does it so that people will fear him.

 Ecclesiastes 3: 9-14