Are You Happy?

Sing it with me

Because I’m happy…

Clap along if you feel like a room without a roof

Because I’m happy…

Clap along if you feel like happiness is the truth

Because I’m happy…

Clap along if you know what happiness is to you

Because I’m happy…

Clap along if you feel like that’s what you wanna do

(thank you Pharrell)

Last year Despicable Me2 came out and this was a part of the soundtrack. Later in the year Pharrell Williams released the song and everyone went crazy! We loved this song! We’ve been dancing and choreographing routines and shooting videos like our lives depended on it! It’s nice for such a pleasant song to become an international hit.

So, are you happy? Merriam-Webster defines happy as: feeling pleasure and enjoyment because of your life, situation, etc.   In other words, you need to have some good happenings going on in order to be happy. By implication, this also means that you are unhappy when times are tough.

On the other hand, Theopedia defines joy as: a state of mind and an orientation of the heart. It is a settled state of contentment, confidence and hope. It is something or someone that provides a source of happiness.

Guess Who that source is!

You [God] make known to me the path of life; You will fill me with joy in Your presence, with eternal pleasures at Your right hand. Psalm 16:11

Surely you have granted him unending blessings and made him glad with the joy of Your presence. Psalm 21:6 (by the way, don’t forget that God never leaves us or forsakes us [Josh. 1:5])

There I will go to the altar of God, to God--the source of all my joy. I will praise you with my harp, O God, my God! Psalm 43:4

Need I go on?

So it is wonderful to be happy. It is wonderful when great things are happening in our lives that we can celebrate and enjoy. But an abiding joy (dare I say and abiding happiness?) can only be experienced when God is your source. This means that in the midst of challenging times, we can still be happy! Theopedia points out that joy is an “orientation of the heart”. Joy is a positioning of the heart in a posture of joy. How does that happen? Through our relationship with the Lord. Nehemiah 8:10 encourages us: “Do not sorrow, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”  God is the One who strengthens us and guards our hearts. He transforms us. His joy is everlasting and fulfilling: “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.” (John 15:11) It is because of God’s abiding work in our lives that our hearts are able to be postured—positioned—oriented toward and in joy. That’s a reason to rejoice!

Clap along if you know THAT is the truth!