It’s good to store happy thoughts in the library of the mind. Here’s a song that helps us with just that very thing. Give it a sing-along listen, then come back and we’ll look at some things in our lives that can ALWAYS cause us to rejoice and be thankful.

What is “happy”

A quick check of a dictionary describes “happy” as “delighted, pleased or glad over a particular thing”. Happy can indicate contentment or joy. It can be exchanged for “willing”, as in “I’d be happy to help you” or “I’d be happy to contribute” or “I’d be happy to participate.”

It makes me happy just to read about the word “happy”. How about you?

So what are some particular things that make us happy — that feed contentment, gladness or willingness?

Happy in the Lord

Let’s jump to our song and talk about “happy in the Lord”.

Years ago I was taught the difference between
“Christ in you” and
“you in Christ.”
Both phrases use the same three words, but the two different orders remind us of two wonderful aspects of life with the Lord — SONSHIP and FELLOWSHIP.

SONSHIP: When I confessed Jesus as Lord and believed God raised him from the dead, I became born again — saved. The new birth changed my relationship with God because I changed from being “dead in trespasses and sins, without God and without hope in this world” to being one of the “sons of God”. Colossians says when you are a son of God you have “Christ in you”. To have “Christ in you” is to have sonship. Sonship is everlasting. EVERLASTING! Now THAT is something to be happy about!

FELLOWSHIP: At the moment I confessed Jesus as Lord and believed God raised him from the dead, I was being obedient to the word and will of God, which is to say, I was in FELLOWSHIP with the Lord. But, alas, like everyone else, not very much time passed before my thoughts or deeds swerved back to something NOT obedient to the word and will of God and at that moment I was out of fellowship. OH NO! What to do?!? Quick — I John 1:9 to the rescue: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” What is this verse talking about? When we read the Epistle of First John from the top, we find the answer in verse three: the context here is FELLOWSHIP. It turns out fellowship is NOT everlasting. Fellowship fluctuates. Romans 8 says there is now no condemnation to you when “you are in Christ”, walking according to God’s spirit. Right before these words in Romans 8, Romans 7 tells us about the struggle we all have — while we are on this side of the gathering together — between our old sin nature and our new born-again nature. As we veer back and forth between these two natures we go out of and back into fellowship. The important point HERE is that fellowship gets broken AND fellowship CAN BE RESTORED! That is ANOTHER thing to be happy about!

Remember:
“Christ in you” is about sonship. Sonship is everlasting because it is God’s work in us.
“You in Christ” is about fellowship. Fellowship fluctuates because it is about our works as we learn to walk in the Lord as sons of God.

The big lie

True happiness happens when we are “in Christ” — in fellowship. One of the biggest, most common and oldest lies confronting humans of all times and all ages is this: “REAL happiness is found when living outside of God’s will.” There is an old saying, “stolen fruit is sweetest”. Don’t believe it! Don’t fall for this. (Probably the more accurate way to say this is, “Don’t fall for this AGAIN! I believe it is safe to say no one has ever lived — besides Jesus Christ — who has NOT fallen for that lie multiple times.)

This saying probably comes from Proverbs 9:17 which reads: “Stolen waters are sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant.” In the context these words are spoken by an evil person trying to persuade others to disobey God.

Romans 12:9 says, “Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor that which is evil. Cling to that which is good.”
It reads as a COMMAND, so we pay attention.
It also reads as a PROMISE, because if God tells us to abhor evil and cling to good, it must be available for us to do it. We are able! That is God’s promise to each of us. Here is yet ANOTHER thing to be happy about!

Let’s find contentment, gladness, happiness and willingness to do good as we live IN the Lord. Whatever we do — and whenever we sing — let’s be “happy, happy, happy IN THE LORD!”

God bless you lots!
-Dale R.

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Download this songsheet

LYRICS: Happy Happy Happy

Happy happy happy
Happy in the Lord
Praise God I’m born again
And I’m trusting in His Word
I want you to know
His promises are true
And I’m so happy happy
Happy In the Lord

Happy happy happy
Happy in the Lord
Praise God His Son’s alive
Jesus is my Lord
I want you to know
His promises are true
And I’m so happy happy
Happy In the Lord

Please share your thoughts

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-Dale R.

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