Title: Three Principles of Happiness
Contents
Text: John 12:24
(24) Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.
Gospel of John (73) Three principles for happiness (John 12:24)
< You will be happy when you kill yourself >
What is the purpose of marriage? Many people are unaware of the true purpose of marriage. The real purpose of marriage is to be a helping spouse to serve. To help and serve so well, you must become a grain of wheat that decays and dies. Only then can many fruits of blessing be produced (verse 24). The problem is that many people do not want to die while expecting the fruit of the blessing.
Some saints know the solution to problems so well that they say: "Pastor! I wish I could die, but I am not dead.” The answer is a hundred points. But every day they die with words alone. If you know the path to happiness but don't follow it and ask for happiness, you will be unhappy. Happiness comes only when you die and make others happy.
It is also important to die cleanly without saying anything when you die. Some people say they are dying and die while struggling to get to know them. The dying man talks too much and struggles too much. Some saints say that death opens the way to life. "Pastor! I try to die, but I can't.” At first glance, this may sound correct, but the word itself is not already dead. If you want to die, you have to die clean. Trying to die is wrong in itself. It's just taking form to die. If you take the form like that, there is no fruit.
Also, dying does not mean expecting fruit immediately after saying “I am dead!” When a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it means that it needs time to rot. Pretending to die and saying, “Why no fruit?” And don't look for the fruit right away. Be patient until it bears fruit. True happiness comes when you confess your death and try to serve in any community you go to.
< 3 Principles for Happiness >
Happiness is not in success. When it comes to success, success doesn't really matter. There are many cases of success and even more anxiety. When you look at the stars, they receive thunderous applause on a splendid stage and seem successful on the outside, but it is really hard to become a being who lives on the applause of people. Because one day the popularity will drop. When you think about it, many stars turn to drugs because they are distressed and anxious.
How great is the effort and effort that celebrities put in to pursue their popularity? After you gain popularity like that, you have to work harder to keep it. There is no joy and no peace in fear and fear of losing popularity. While making others happy, I am dying because I am not happy with myself. Why? Because they misunderstand the principle of happiness. There are three principles to remember about happiness.
First, happiness is given by grace. The root of grace is God. After all, without a right relationship with God, there is no true happiness. Especially since grace is given without qualification, there is no happiness if you exalt yourself. Why do smart people have a low happiness index? It's because they don't know him well even though he's the best looking at it. Also, if you look around you, even people who don't care about you live a better life than you. Such an arrogant heart empties happiness. The reason people who are not very cool live with unexpected happiness is because they have an open heart to grace.
Second, happiness comes when you realize it. If you receive a lot but do not realize it, rather possessing a lot dulls your sense of happiness. Just as your nose becomes dull when you are full and your nose becomes sensitive when you are hungry, so is the sense of happiness. Children from rich families are not happy even if they give a lot of pocket money, but children from poor families are very happy even with a few pennies. There are many times when a person who has always complained when he is healthy realizes that he has forgotten the precious grace of health when he is sick, and then opens his eyes of grace.
Third, happiness comes when we become one. Happiness always involves hard work and sacrifice. The joys and pleasures of life are proportional to hard work and sacrifice. Joy without toil and sacrifice is not true joy. I am happy when I know how to sacrifice joy like that and limit myself for others. If you don't know the principle that you need to make others happy to make yourself happy, you will spend time in vain. Why do well-off modern people have a higher unhappiness index? Because you are looking for your own happiness. The illusion that you can be happy even if you make others unhappy keeps you from real happiness.
Many of those of fortress marriage age remain single. There are many people who live happily even though they are single. On the other hand, some people groan a lot from the unhappiness of living alone and the psychological pain they experience. If you can't control the pain of singleness like that, why not get married? One of the biggest reasons is that they do not want to give their happiness to others, that is, they do not want to serve anyone.
Surprisingly, few people have the idea of getting married to make others happy when they get married. Usually, “How am I going to be happy with that person?” Just work hard to calculate. However, an accident that counts only one's own happiness and ultimately falls into a trap of terrible misery. On the other hand, if you try to serve others, countless unexpected blessings will follow.
Look at Ruth. The poor mother-in-law, who had lost both her husband and her son, and was home alone, told her. "Hey! You have a bright road ahead, so find your way.” Still, Ruth insists she will follow her mother-in-law. She thought nothing of her own happiness and no guarantees for the future. Because of such devotion, in the end, Ruth enjoyed the great honor of being included in the genealogy of the Messiah as a Gentile woman.
Some people these days only look for their own happiness. For the sake of their own happiness, they do not marry and their children do not get better. Such a mind invites unhappiness. Happiness is never achieved selfishly. When you roll up your arms and serve happily, others will be happy and you will be happy too. If you entrust your holy toil to others and pursue your own happiness, you will get nothing. Always remember the principle of the grain of wheat and declare your own death without regret. At that time, I live and others live, and happiness resides.