True Happiness

Matthew 5:1-11 NIV

Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them. He said: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.

From "Once-a-Day Walk with Jesus", YouVersion Daily Devotional:

Blessed ... in the Eyes of God

"What is happiness? Ask 20 different people to answer that question, and you’ll probably get 20 different answers.

But for the citizen of the kingdom of heaven, the path to true happiness is the path of blessedness described by Jesus in Matthew 5:1–11.

As Matthew Henry points out, until you know what true happiness is, you will never discover God’s path to find it.

Walk With Matthew Henry
“Happiness is the thing people pretend to pursue. But most form a wrong notion of it and miss the way.

“The general opinion is: Blessed are those who are rich and honorable in the world, who spend their days in mirth and their years in pleasure.

“Jesus comes to correct this fundamental error and give us quite another notion of blessedness.

“However paradoxical his teaching may appear to those in the world, to those who are saved it is a rule of eternal truth and certainty by which we must shortly be judged.

“If this, therefore, be the beginning of Christ’s doctrine, the Christian’s duty must be to take his measure of happiness from those maxims, and to direct his life accordingly.”

Walk Closer to God
Would you consider yourself truly happy if your life were characterized by meekness ... mercy ... poverty in spirit ... persecution?

You would if you had God’s perspective on happiness.

Given the chance, the world will offer you a bogus substitute—a happiness dependent on money, prestige or circumstances.
Christ says true happiness consists of none of these.

But you must decide. Which notion of blessedness will you build your life on today? How do you complete the sentence “Happiness is ...”? "

For me, true happiness is the realization that there really is no way to obtain happiness without the desperate realization that it can only come through fulfillment in Christ. When I am reaching for this I am joyful in Jesus no matter my life circumstance. As a human, it is so easy to slip off this path and start reaching for other things. Thank God that He left us His Word and Spirit to continually redirect us.