"Good morning! Gladness of heart is the key to happiness and this only happens when we are connected to God in everything. There are many believers in the faith who believe in Christ only, but if you watch their life they are generally not living by His teachings. This is a detriment to their happiness ever being realized in the details of life, and thus they remain believers in Christ but not enough to follow His teachings.
The Bible records the very Words of Christ teaching that in that day, speaking of when we shall all face Him, that MANY will say to Him, "Lord, Lord, didn't we prophesy, heal the sick, cast out devils, raise the dead, all in your name! And He will tell them, I never knew you relationally, then He will command the angels to remove them from His presence."
Therefore, we can see believing based on philosophy in something or someone is not necessarily believing at all. Only when you follow and build your entire life around what you profess to believe are you a real believer. It is here that this person will spend their time, devotion, resources, and build their relationships out of that belief. When a person puts their all in this manner, no one can argue their commitment to what they are believing. They are a believer!
If your belief is in Christ at the level I'm describing, then you will essentially live a life that emulates Christ in body, soul, and spirit. It is here that His joy will be in you at all times, good or difficult. If He fully reigns over your life then you will exhibit a peace that passes all your understanding in the situations of your life. It is here then that a person expresses happiness in all stages of life. They hold the key to happiness: "gladness of heart," because they know in whom it is that loves them and protects them." ~Dad~ |
