Title: The Key to Lifelong Happiness
Contents
The key to lifelong happiness (Philippians 4:11-13)
There is a fairy tale play “The Blue Bird” (1908) written by Belgian playwright and Nobel Prize winner Maurice Maeterlinck. A brief introduction to the plot is as follows. There was a poor woodcutter's sons and daughters, Chirchir and Michir. On Christmas Eve, the grandmother next door visits them, who were gloomy because they did not receive any presents. “My daughter is sick and lying down, and she wants a blue bird. Are there any bluebirds here?” Tirchir and Michir reply that there is only one dove, and set off to find the bluebird. However, no matter how much he searched, he could not find the blue bird. Mom wakes me up. "Guys! Come on, get up. It's already eight o'clock!" It was a dream. Then the grandmother next door comes in. "Sorry. Couldn't find any bluebirds. Take that pigeon too.” Saying this, he pointed to the cage, which had turned into a blue bird overnight. By giving the blue bird, the grandmother's daughter also recovered from the disease. Here, the blue bird symbolizes human happiness. People think that happiness is far away and go looking for it, but the truth is that it is in their daily life.
So what's the story after all? Many people think that happiness is in the midst of special environmental conditions, but it is not at all. If so, then happiness is in order of sexuality (順) and in order of wealth (順). But look at the reality! Really? It's not like that. There are many people who live in dissatisfaction and complaints despite good conditions. Unhappy people. On the other hand, there are those who are rather grateful in the midst of hardship and adversity. Happy people. So, happiness is a matter of the heart.
So there is this saying. “Happiness belongs to those who are grateful.” (Aristotle) It is not those who have good conditions, but those who are grateful. There is another saying: “The amount of gratitude is the amount of happiness.” (Tagor) The amount of happiness is directly proportional to the amount of gratitude. The African saint Schweitzer once again said: “Anyone who can accept any circumstance with gratitude can always be happy.” Schweitzer grew up in a wealthy family as a child, but later lived in the African jungle. A person who has been through all sorts of situations. That makes his words more persuasive.
So, what can we really do to be happy? Efforts to be grateful are more important than efforts to change environmental conditions. If we can always have a grateful heart, we can always be happy. If you can have gratitude for the rest of your life, you can be happy for the rest of your life. The ‘key to lifelong happiness’ is ‘lifelong gratitude’.
That's right! The Apostle Paul is teaching us in today's Bible text that the secret to lifelong happiness is lifelong gratitude. I hope that you will learn to be grateful for the rest of your life through today's words, and that you and I will be happy for the rest of your life.
The book of Philippians we are looking at today was written by Paul and was written in prison. In other words, it is a 'Prison Letter'. But when you look at the contents, every word is full of joy. That's why it's called the 'Letter of Joy'.
[1] The secret to lifelong happiness: Lifelong gratitude
In the text, Paul explains through his testimony that the secret to lifelong happiness is lifelong gratitude. In verses 11-12, we read, “I am not speaking because I am in need. Whatever the circumstances, I have learned to be content; I know how to be humble and I know how to abound. ” Paul had experience in a variety of environmental conditions. He was a nobleman. He was a doctor, a Roman citizen, and a wealthy man. However, after meeting Jesus, while preaching the gospel, he experienced poverty and privation and suffered all kinds of hardships. So he confesses. Now, you have learned the secret to being able to adapt to any environmental conditions and being happy in the midst of it.
By analogy, it's like this. It is like the difference between a thermometer and a thermostat. The thermometer changes according to the ambient environmental conditions. It goes down when the temperature goes down, and goes up when the temperature goes up. On the other hand, what about thermostats? Overcome environmental conditions. It goes up when the temperature goes down and goes down when the temperature goes up.
Most people live life like a thermometer. In times of prosperity, we become proud, and in times of trouble, we become discouraged. So that's unfortunate. But Paul lived a life like a thermostat. When he was prosperous, he humbled himself and humbled himself. In times of trouble, I looked to God, endured in hope, and gave thanks. This is what it means to be thankful for everything. In other words, it is All-Weather Thanksgiving. Always be thankful, no matter the weather or the dog, and thank you for everything. If you live like this, you will be grateful for the rest of your life. This is the secret to lifelong happiness that Paul teaches us. If you can be 'thankful for a lifetime', you can be 'happy for the rest of your life'.
[2] Lifelong Gratitude: In Christ
So how can you be grateful for the rest of your life? It is only possible in Christ. We cannot be thankful because we are sinners by nature. A basic characteristic of sinners is egocentric thinking. Because when things go well, they blame themselves, and when things go wrong, they blame others. So we become proud, resentful, and complaining.
① Reasons for not being grateful: Comparison, greed, hardship
The reasons that make us less grateful are usually comparative consciousness, greed, and suffering.
We always compare ourselves to others. So when I think I'm better than others, I get proud, and when I think I'm worse than others, I get discouraged and complain. How good are the environmental conditions these days compared to the past? Still, the reason for the unhappiness is a feeling of relative deprivation, relative poverty. So I can't thank you again.
There is a neologism that is popular among young people these days. 'Umchina' and 'Ummchindaughter'. My mother's friend's son and mother's friend's daughter are very stressful. Why are the sons and daughters of mother's friends studying so well, getting jobs, and getting married?
New words that are popular among adults are ‘Machinnam’ and ‘Boyfriend Ma’. The rest is my wife's friend's husband. My boyfriend is my husband's friend's wife. They are very stressful. Why does my wife's friend's husband make so much money and have good manners! Why is my husband's friend's wife so cute and talented!
This is the story of a middle-aged woman. She was usually very happy. My husband works well, and when payday comes, the money is deposited online. Children do not get into trouble and go to school well. It's not a big apartment, but I've gotten rid of the rent and got my own house. Then one day, I went to a high school reunion. I got dressed up in the morning and went out. However, the classmates are proud of each other. What is my husband's salary, which school the children go to, what is the size of the apartment... It just made my heart cry. “When I was in school, I was able to buy things that I didn’t study better than I did… What am I… I’m having such a hard time meeting my husband…” I thought to myself. That evening, for nothing, I got into a big fight with my husband. Suddenly, the house changed like hell. Because of comparison!
Human greed has no limit and no end. No matter how good the environmental conditions, if you can't control your greed, you have no choice but to complain and you are always unhappy. Besides, when hardships come, I can't keep my pulse. I am frustrated and disappointed. So that's unfortunate.
② Gratitude in Christ: Faithful Thinking Ability
There is only one way to overcome these aspects. It is to abide in Christ. You change your mind by being united with Christ. It is to develop ‘religious thinking ability’. Only then can you be grateful.
This is what Paul is talking about. See verse 13. “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” “The one who gives me strength” is Jesus Christ. Being able to do everything here doesn't mean you can change environmental conditions. Where is Paul now? in jail! If that means you can change environmental conditions at will, then you have to get out of prison right now. Of course, there are times when environmental conditions change while living a religious life. But you should know that it may not be. Environmental conditions remain the same, but your inner ability to overcome them is more important. This is the power of religious thinking. It is only when you have this ability that you can be grateful.
So there is this saying. “Thinking precedes thanking.” (Thinking precedes thanking.) When you have the ability to think religiously, you can interpret your environmental conditions from God's perspective. Only then can you be grateful and happy.
Specifically, how can we overcome the sense of comparison that prevents us from being thankful? We can overcome it by interpreting and thinking through the Word in Christ. 1 Corinthians 4:7 “Who has set you apart? What do you have that you did not receive? If you have received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?” All of this is from God. So thank you for what you got. You don't have to compare yourself to others and you shouldn't. We can only look to God in Christ and give thanks.
And how can we overcome the problem of greed that keeps us from being thankful? 1 Timothy 6:7-8 “We brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it, so that if we have food and clothing, we will be content.” Meditating on these words is absolutely true. It's an airlift. When you think like this, your greed will soon disappear. And I can thank you for the blessings you have given me today, and we are happy when that happens. Another thing, how do we overcome the trouble of being unthankful? Romans 8:28,32 “28And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. 32 He did not spare his own Son, but for all of us. How can he not give us all things along with his Son?” If God, who gave his only begotten Son Jesus Christ to the cross to save us from sin and death, would allow us to suffer, would it not mean anything? In the end, all things work together for good. It is the ultimate blessing of victory.
This is the story of the inventor, Edison. In 1914, when he was 67 years old, a fire broke out in his laboratory. A lifetime of research data was shattered overnight. Damages exceeded $2 million, but compensation was only $238,000. Money is money, but the loss of research data was a huge loss. But Edison looked at the ashes of the laboratory and muttered: “Even disasters are worth it. 'Cause all my mistakes are burnt out God, thank you so much for allowing me to start over.” Exactly three weeks later, the first phonograph was born. It was a miraculous blessing from God that gave him thanks.
Even death is a blessing when you think about it in Christ. Revelation 14:13 “…Blessed are those who die in the Lord from now on.” And the Holy Spirit said, “Yes, they will rest from their toil, because their deeds will follow.” If you believe in Jesus and die, you will have eternal life in heaven, and the glory and reward of heaven. A saint's life has a happy ending. Even if you die, you are in heaven, so there is nothing to lose.
Now I finish my speech. Saints! Why are we unhappy? Is the environmental condition bad? That's cheating yourself. Where are our bluebirds? Glamorous or rustic, here and now, we are in the midst of our environmental conditions. The question is how much we can be thankful in our circumstances. If you give thanks in everything, you can be happy in everything. If you are always grateful, you can always be happy. If you give thanks for the rest of your life, you can be happy for the rest of your life. I hope that you and I will be happy forever by learning the secret of lifelong gratitude in Christ.