True Happiness in the Inner Man

True Happiness in the Inner Man

By Thinking P'Noy   8:42 AM   No comments :

 

 

How to be happy in this life? True happiness means enjoyment. If we enjoy dancing, for example, then such a hobby is pleasurable to us. But we can be happy by just sitting down if we enjoy the moment.

 

Charles Spurgeon once said that "It is not how much we have, but how much we enjoy, that makes happiness."

 

True Happiness Lives Within US

True happiness lives inside of us. It is not the activity of dancing, for example, that gives us a sense of real satisfaction, for people go to the dance even in the hour of sadness.

 

 

Even the thought of dancing gives us delight if it gives us pleasure doing it. True happiness just stays in our heart even in the absence of things that give us pleasure. It always becomes a part of us if we are contented and peaceful.

Jesus Christ did not experience the pleasure of a rich man. There is even no record that He did laugh. But at the moment of His death and in the presence of His murderers, He prayed "Father, forgive them."

Jesus Christ did not experience the pleasure of a rich man. There is even no record that He did laugh. But at the moment of His death and in the presence of His murderers, He prayed "Father, forgive them."

Charles Spurgeon once said that "It is not how much we have, but how much we enjoy, that makes happiness."

True Happiness Versus Our Resistance to Accepting Realities

Someone has well said that the first solution to a problem is the acceptance that it exists. The primary cause of our unhappiness, therefore, is our resistance to accepting realities. We have a problem, an empty something, a vacuum inside us that we need to fill with truth and reason.

This EMPTY SOMETHING that causes us dissatisfaction and discontent may be termed as the three questions of life. We have heard them already. The first query is, why are we here; second, where did we come from; and third, where shall we go from here?

True Happiness Comes From God

True happiness comes from a satisfactory answer to the above questions of life. And the answer is the first four words of the Holy Bible: "In the beginning God."

Why are we here? The answer is "In the beginning God." The same key to the last two questions: God!

Adam of old experienced the same empty something after being catapulted out of paradise. Then, he was profoundly in search for meaning! He had to answer the questions of life to be happy.

Why are we here? Where did we come from? Where shall we go from here? Answer them, Adam, and you'll be happy! That's it.

"Come to Me," Christ gave an invitation to all of us, "all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest." (Matt. 11:28) Yes, "rest" here means a real sense of happiness, satisfaction, and assurance.

True Happiness Does Not Come From Fame and Riches

True happiness, therefore, does not come even amidst riches, fame, intelligence, and good looks once the thought of becoming old, sick, and dying starts to invade your peace.

Remember the Billionaire Manny Pacquiao conversion and his real trust in Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Savior. Fame and riches did not provide the boxer Pacquiao true happiness in life until he came to Christ by faith.

Remember the Billionaire Manny Pacquiao conversion and his real trust in Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Savior. Fame and riches did not provide the boxer Pacquiao true happiness in life until he came to Christ by faith.

Contentment, satisfaction, cheerfulness, joy, delight, good spirits, lightheartedness, well-being, enjoyment---these are the synonyms for happiness. And it is felt as a positive emotion of the inner person. True happiness resides in the inner man. It is not something outside of the person. Will you be truly happy, for example, having received the insurance benefits of your beloved someone--benefits from the policy of a dead wife or child? Certainly, not. True happiness thus, cannot be bought with money for it is all about yourself, not any stimulus outside of your being.

What is that empty something that's somehow invading our happy serenity? Well, it is that feeling of vulnerability, rejection, hopelessness, insecurity, irrational ambition, selfishness, a guilty conscience, a sense of sinfulness--a feeling of being unclean, wicked and godless inside of us.

Socrates taught us to "Know thyself" but failed to teach us how! Know thyself; answer the three questions of life--and you will be happy.

Christ has the answer--He is the Answer: "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."

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Kindness Bartered with Kindness is Manipulative

Kindness Bartered with Kindness is Manipulative

By Thinking P'Noy   4:21 PM   No comments :

 

Kindness Bartered is Manipulative Kindness

True kindness doesn’t expect to be reciprocated. Kindness is defined as the tendency of being forgiving or the "quality of being warmhearted and considerate and humane and sympathetic." Therefore, a form of kindness that's expecting a reward or a reciprocal attitude from whom one's kindness was tendered is deceptive and manipulative. For kindness is to be nice to others, free of any ulterior motives at all---no strings attached. Someone has well said that: "It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice."

Therefore, a form of kindness that's expecting a reward or a reciprocal attitude from whom one's kindness was tendered is deceptive and manipulative. For kindness is to be nice to others, free of any ulterior motives at all---no strings attached. Someone has well said that: "It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice."

A Kindness Given in Exchange
for Personal Reward, Advantage, and Gratification

There's a story in the Bible where a certain woman built a room for Prophet Elisha (2 Kings 4:8-17). Pleased, Elisha prayed that the notable but childless Shunammite woman would bear a son. Using this illustration, one preacher ventured to say that: one's kindness will always be rewarded. He also added that a glass of cold water given in kindness will receive a reward, quoting Matthew 10:40-42:

"He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me. He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward; and he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward. And whoever in the name of a disciple gives to one of these little ones even a cup of cold water to drink, truly I say to you, he shall not lose his reward." (Matthew 10:40-42)

Now, who would dare to disagree with the above verses which fell from the lips of Christ Himself? Well, Jesus Christ is the Truth. (John 14:6). No one can twist the Biblical truth that "God is not mocked; a man reaps what he sows"! Outside of Christ or the Christian faith for that matter however, the virtue of kindness or being nice to people, is usually applied differently. We normally are nice only if we have a personal interest on the recipient or the results of our kindness. "An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth" seems to be the norm in our relationships!

Be Kind Without Expecting Any Form of Reward

Outside of Christ or the Christian faith for that matter however, the virtue of kindness or being nice to people, is usually applied differently. We normally are nice only if we have a personal interest on the recipient or the results of our kindness. "An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth" seems to be the norm in our relationships!

Charles H. Spurgeon once said: "A good character is the best tombstone. Those who loved you and were helped by you will remember you when forget-me-nots have withered. Carve your name on hearts, not on marble." I think Spurgeon is right: we need to be kind without expecting any form of reward, for the truest reward or payment of our kindness is the happy remembrance of our good character by the people affected by our benignity.

Christian Kindness Toward Christian Leaders

I do personally believe, however, that one's kindness given to the real leaders and the true Christian Church as well will always receive a reward from the Lord, either physically, spiritually, or even financially or all three divine blessings at once. Jesus Christ taught it; I experienced it: I experienced where all that I had was burned (my computer, books, everything) to ashes! But my faith in Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and Savior was authentic as ever despite my severe trials; I knew that He loved me and bled and died for my sins. (Now I have a laptop already for me to be able to share my story so easily). "Delight thyself also in the LORD"; yes, amidst the storms of trials, "and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart." Psalm 37:4.

Charles H. Spurgeon once said: "A good character is the best tombstone. Those who loved you and were helped by you will remember you when forget-me-nots have withered. Carve your name on hearts, not on marble." I think Spurgeon is right: we need to be kind without expecting any form of reward, for the truest reward or payment of our kindness is the happy remembrance of our good character by the people affected by our benignity.

Kindness Attracts Kindness

Kindness, outside of the Christian paradigm, has another meaning. We are living in this "me-first" world, and being kind the way Christ was while He was still walking on this planet over 2,000 years ago, has now become a strange phenomenon to the majority. For we understand kindness today to be always connected to our personal interest. The politicians, in particular, have coined this great description of their so-called kindness (not all of them, though!): "There's no such thing as permanent friendship, only permanent interest."

A confident public speaker started his speech by saying: "When God created the universe He created universal laws and one of these laws is the law of attraction." Well said. Kindness attracts kindness, in short. The Bible is full of instructions about patience and kindness, which are relevant even to this Bible-less generation of ours.

God’s Kindness Attracts Repentance

After all, the kindness of God will lead people to repent, wrote the Apostle Paul. Her mother's sympathies may change the wicked and disobedient daughter. Here's how Paul said it:

"So when you, a mere man, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God's judgment? Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance, and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance?" ( Romans 2:3-4 )

CONCLUSION

Let's go now to the bottom line of it all: some people are naturally kind to others, they be Christians or not, some of their names are even in the Guinness Book. They are so few, though. Would you include Mahatma Gandhi or Buddha or Mother Teresa in your list of genuinely kind people? Or, do you believe they did what they did, yes, to thousands of individuals, without expecting any personal gratification in the process? You have your answer, of course.

Quotes

This is my simple religion. There is no need for temples; no need for complicated philosophy. Our own brain, our own heart is our temple; the philosophy is kindness. - Dalai Lama

But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil.- Jesus Christ (Luke 6:35)

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