HAPPINESS IS . . .
Date: 
Tuesday, December 22, 2020
Teacher(s): 

“Happy are they who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  Happy are you when men shall revile you and persecute you and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely.  Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven.” [UB 140:3:11]

Thought Adjuster: “Jesus knew of which he was talking when he spoke those words during the ordination of his twelve ‘ambassadors’ to the kingdom.  His were words of great depth that echoed his personal experience in the service of his heavenly Father. 

The ordination sermon was all about finding your inner place of happiness—sustainable happiness. Such a blissful state arises out of the ashes of what could seem to be the shattered lives of those ‘poor in spirit,’ ‘hungry and thirsty for righteousness,’ ‘pure in heart,’ ‘grieving,’ ‘weeping,’ ‘merciful,’ peacemakers,’ ‘persecuted for righteousness’ sake.’

If you are oblivious of your spiritual poverty and your longings for righteousness, truth, beauty, and goodness are still just longings, the first step in your spiritual activation is an increased awareness of your spiritual lacks.

True happiness ensues when all your needs are met and you thrive at all levels of your persona. You then lack nothing, and you can live your life to the fullest, seizing all opportunities to give of yourself—as Jesus did.

Such was Jesus’ secret to happiness.  Despite the living hell that his protagonists unleashed on him, he remained cheerful and unafraid, which left a lasting impression on them despite their determination to despise him.

From that heightened perspective, Jesus recognized that these misguided human behaviors gave him ample opportunities to prove his unwavering allegiance to the heavenly cause. He got to experience the blissful peace that passes all human understanding—a peace you are all craving for and that can only be obtained by living the way of a pure in heart peacemaker.  There is no better calling than this.”