Happiness Is...

Blessed… in the Eyes of God

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. – Matthew 5:3

What is happiness? Ask 20 different people to answer that question, and you’ll probably get 20 different answers.

But for the citizen of the kingdom of heaven, the path to true happiness is the path of blessedness described by Jesus in Matthew 5:1 – 11.

As Matthew Henry points out, until you know what true happiness is, you will never discover God’s path to find it.

Walk With Matthew Henry

Happiness is the thing people pretend to pursue. But most form a wrong notion of it and miss the way. ~ Matthew Henry

The general opinion is: Blessed are those who are rich and honorable in the world, who spend their days in mirth and their years in pleasure.

Jesus comes to correct this fundamental error and give us quite another notion of blessedness.

However paradoxical his teaching may appear to those in the world, to those who are saved it is a rule of eternal truth and certainty by which we must shortly be judged.

If this, therefore, be the beginning of Christ’s doctrine, the Christian’s duty must be to take his measure of happiness from those maxims, and to direct his life accordingly.

Walk Closer to God

Would you consider yourself truly happy if your life were characterized by meekness… mercy… poverty in spirit… persecution?

You would if you had God’s perspective on happiness.

Given the chance, the world will offer you a bogus substitute — a happiness dependent on money, prestige or circumstances.

Christ says true happiness consists of none of these.

But you must decide. Which notion of blessedness will you build your life on today? How do you complete the sentence “Happiness is…”?

Excerpted with permission from Once-a-Day Walk With Jesus Devotional by Zondervan, copyright Zondervan, 2011.

* * *

Your Turn

How do you complete the sentence “Happiness is…”? What is your idea of blessedness? How does it compare to Christ’s? Come join the conversation on our blog! We would love to hear from you! ~ Devotionals Daily