The secret of happiness

A man called me yesterday, a reader of my Sunday column in the Eunice News. After several minutes of talking about who he was, he got to the subject of why he called. He wanted to know why he wasn't happy. We will meet and I'll do my best to listen, maybe even make some suggestions.

But I must be frank here: happiness is often simply a desire, a passion, for God. I searched everywhere and found it only there. And still there are days when my back hurts so bad I don't think you could describe what I feel as happy.

I'm reminded that every where I look, the church is shrinking. The question for the past couple of years has been what do we do about it? What steps must we take? What must we try? What will work?

I think of David's writings when I think of this:
As the deer longs for streams of water,
so I long for you, O God.
² I thirst for God, the living God.
When can I go and stand before him?
³ Day and night I have only tears for food,
while my enemies continually taunt me, saying,
“Where is this God of yours?”

⁴ My heart is breaking
as I remember how it used to be:
I walked among the crowds of worshipers,
leading a great procession to the house of God,
singing for joy and giving thanks
amid the sound of a great celebration!

⁵ Why am I discouraged?
Why is my heart so sad?
I will put my hope in God!
I will praise him again— my Savior and ⁶ my God!

 

The answer to the problem of church attendance, membership, etc., is and must be a true passion of its current attenders, members, etc.

 

We must show those who are not, what we who are can be, could be, used to be.

 

Happiness is about the love of God and the love of others. I do well with the former. I'm working on the latter.

 

I will put my hope in God. I will praise him again -- my Savior and my God. It is the only answer I have, the only answer I've ever had, the only answer I can offer.