Happiness

Looking at life through a narrow lens, life sure seems tough and depressing. Perhaps that's the side of me I always put out to people. Always stressing over how life is hard, and the world is evil. It's the truth, and I'm a realist in that sense. But what people don't know about me is that I see a bigger picture in life, through a wide-angled lens if you will. When I look at the painting of Life, I see a beautiful picture; I see God's fingerprints and sovereignty. Sure, in certain specific moments my emotions may not reflect that mentality, but it's knowing that God is always in control always helps me to let go and move on. And I believe that is the true Joy of living.

Joy doesn't mean that you are happy all the time, smiling and laughing. Joy is never giving up hope in every situation, never letting worry get to your head, and always looking on the bright side of things. Even in gloomy despair of life, God's glory always shines through, always pulls me through.

The problem is people living in time, see the world through time; they live with eyes, and they can only see the world through their eyes. They are unable to take themselves out of the world. Everything is about "what's happening this moment to me", and never about "what is happening". I doubt most people will get the distinction between the two phrases.

Some people choose to live under the mantra of "ignorance is bliss". But are you really ignorant, or just choosing to ignore. They think that the world works under the "if I don't believe in it, then it doesn't apply to me" mentality. What most people fail to realize is that the truth is not as such. Even if I refuse to agree with and believe in our judicial system, the fact that I'm living in the system puts me under the jurisdiction of ruling parties, whether or not I choose to believe in it. The problem is that everybody just wants to be free from guilt and consequences, oft giving excuses to evade the real problem at hand.

Blaise Pascal once wrote,

"All men seek happiness. This is without exception. Whatever different means they employ, they all tend to this end. The cause of some going to war, and of others avoiding it, is the same desire in both, attended with different views. The will never takes the least step but to this object. This is the motive of every action of every man, even of those who hang themselves."

True, isn't it? But why is there still so much unhappiness in this world? Even though everybody past and present spends their life trying to achieve this goal. What is wrong? The problem is pride. We live our lives as though we are Gods and refuse to give control to the Maker. Some even numb their hearts and minds to the existence of He who gave them breath. They refuse to follow His path to happiness and have the cheek to blame God for all the unhappiness? The transgressions they commit against God is seemingly infinite. And they say the punishment does not fit the crime. The amount of gratitude and glory to which God is due is immense; infinite, so isn't it fair that contrary to that be infinite punishment?

Everyone seeks bliss in the now, but I choose to acknowledge the sorrow of the now but hope for eternal Joy. Choosing to ignore the truth will only blind your hearts, and ultimately lead to your destruction. I bring not words of sorrow but of Joy for there is hope yet - hope in God.