Everyone is in pursuit of happiness. How can we find happiness?
Proverbs tell us that happiness comes to those who have wisdom and understanding. Here is the wisdom and understanding we need to find happiness.
The wrong way to seek happiness: We know that we can’t find happiness by looking for happiness. Happiness is a byproduct of something. There are two prevailing views in our culture on how to find happiness: (1) the traditional view says, accept the assigned role of the culture—be a good wife, good husband, good parent, good citizen, good worker, buy a house with a picket fence; then, you will find happiness; or (2) the modern view says, create your own role and follow your dream and destiny; when you reach it, you will find happiness. However, we wake up to how naïve these approaches to happiness are when they do not work.
The right way to seek happiness: We are designed by God to have a relationship with God. Our hearts were designed for that relationship. There was a time when we did have that relationship. Our hearts were filled with happiness in God’s presence. Because we lost that presence, we have a deep sense of emptiness in our lives. So, the right way to happiness is to seek God’s presence. God is saying, “come to me; I am what your heart needs, I am your love, I am your gold and silver, I am your destiny, I am your happiness. Don’t come to me to get something else you think will make you happy. Come to me because I am your happiness.” God Himself is our happiness. Getting to God and having a relationship with God and being filled with his presence is how we experience happiness.