When you read the title, what did you think about? Was it: the TV sitcom about an idealized family living in the 50’s and 60’s featuring "the Fonz", or some special day in your own life like a wedding day or memorable anniversary, or graduation day? There are many possibilities, but in reality very special days are rare. Consequently, many people only dream about happy days assuming that a daily routine of misery is the norm.

 

Granted, there is much in this world to be unhappy about. We are infested with injustice and uncertainty. Corruption is consuming us. Politics is polluted. The thought of an “ideal family” has been ruined by rottenness in the name of reality. So the quest for happiness may, to some, seem like an exercise in futility - much like chasing the wind.

 

Part of the problem is rooted in our perception of happiness. We define happiness by circumstances - some are “good” others are “bad”. If something “bad” happens to us, the world says, “you have a right to be unhappy”. But if this is our automatic reaction to negatives, we will rarely, if ever, have a happy day. There is no place on this planet where we can escape every potential issue that can cause unhappiness. Neither can we isolate ourselves from  miserable, unhappy people who delight in making others miserable. Remember, “Misery loves company”.

 

Just like many people feel justified in their unhappiness, there are even better reasons for people to be happy. But unlike the conditioned response of unhappiness to negative stimuli, happiness is a choice. As already noted, unhappiness is easy. It can quickly become our “default setting” if we succumb to the world’s way.

 

God offers us a better way - His way. He enables us to overcome the unhappy circumstances of life. Solomon said, “...when a face is sad, a heart may be happy” (Ecclesiastes 7:3). Of course, this is only possible if we have come to realize that true, enduring happiness can only be found in the Lord. One of the most powerful demonstrations of this truth comes from the pen of the Apostle Paul who wrote the following from a Roman prison: “Rejoice in the Lord always, again I will say rejoice.” Philippians 4:4

 

When a heart is happy, Satan’s efforts to lure us into his domain of darkness and depression will be defeated. Some assume giddy giggles and big grins manifest true happiness, but happiness in the Lord is objective. Proverbs 29:18 says, “...happy is he who keeps the law.” If you want to have your life filled with a real “happy days”, then live each day for the Lord.  KD