"I THINK MYSELF HAPPY"
“I THINK MYSELF HAPPY”
Pastor Carolyn Sissom
Sunday, September 8, 2013, the Year of Our Lord.
Paul wrote, “I think myself happy”. His happiness was the joy of being able to speak freely before King Agrippa and declare the Gospel of Jesus Christ and his testimony of how the Lord saved him (Acts 26).
I think myself happy every day. What is this state of being happy? It is definitely joy unspeakable and full of glory. This state of being cannot be dependent upon the seasons of our lives which changes sometimes daily, weekly, monthly, yearly.
My joy was full being “in love” and “loved”. However, during those 43-years of being with my soul-mate, the seasons and circumstances of our marriage were not without darkness with challenges of that love. I sought the Lord daily in prayer for the soul of the marriage.
My joy was full when both our daughters were born and I fell “in love” with each one of them. However, that happiness was not without darkness and challengs as they grew and became independent of me. I sought the Lord daily in prayer for their soul, health, education, and life’s struggle of growing-up.
My joy was full when my daughters gave me “my” sons-in-love. Then joy unspeakable when the grand-children were born. One of the wonderful things about grand children is grand parents have no grandiose expectations that they have to measure up to our super-egos. As parents, we lacked the maturity to give our children that grace.
My point is that many circumstances give us great joy. But all of those circumstances change and are seasonal. I am happy to have good health, be walking around, have a wonderful church with the most awesome friends I have ever had in my life. I have a nice home; a car to drive up and down Mason Road. I live in a nice neighborhood, unafraid. The list goes on and on of the blessings that make me happy.
However, if anyone of these blessing I have counted should change, I have found the source of happiness. His name isJesus Christ. In that relationship, is the joy unspeakable and full of glory. I love every member of this dear fellowship. But we all know that relationships are like sifting sand, especially in Houston, Texas. People come in to our life for a season and then “whiff” they are gone like smoke in the air.
In order to define happiness, perhaps we should discuss unhappiness/depression. Abraham Lincoln once wrote, “Most people are about as happy as they choose to be.” Lincoln went through much anguish in his life---the death of his fiancée, lost elections, the Civil War, and other major disappointments. But Lincoln chose to be happy. At one period in his life he was so depressed he considered suicide. He overcame his depression through a “choice”. Others choose happiness but still do not obtain it. The reason for this is that even though they choose to be happy, they seek for inner peace and joy in the wrong places of materialism, drugs, alcohol, etc.
As a widow, security is a state of being that makes me happy. I am happy when I can pay all of my bills, and meet the financial obligations of this happy and loving church. I am happy to be able to continue to have the ability to lead a useful and productive life.
However, if I should seek security and materialism for my happiness, then I would be in a state of anxiety and depression all the time. This season of my life is in a state of “flux”. The church property is an uncertainty if we look at it from man’s perspective. My age is relative to my future. My remaining years are closer to being in Heaven than the number of years left on this earth. My family all live hundreds of miles away.
Happiness cannot be measured by materialism or security. Happiness then is a choice of a walk of faith and trust in Yahweh Yireh, the Lord our Provider.
There are many wealthy people who have not discovered inner peace, joy and happiness. Some seek fulfillment by obtaining positions of power by exercising excessive control, but they remain unfulfilled. They have everything this world has to offer except one thing---happiness.
Physicians, dentists, politicians, are overwhelmed with pressures which they perceive as being external, but are primarily from within—perfectionism, masochistic, self-critical inner drives and insecurities. Many of them have an enormous fear of failure and a strong need to rescue the world from illness and death.
Everyone can give up depression and choose happiness.
“Depression is a devastating illness that affects the total being---physically, emotionally, and spiritually. The emotional pain of depression is more severe than the physical pain of a broken leg. Unlike a broken leg, however, the pains of depression come on much more gradually.
Depression generally falls into five major categories:
- Sad affect –sad facial expression. He/she cries often or feels like it. The forehead is wrinkled. His eyes are cast down and sad. The corners of his mouth droop. He feels tired, discouraged and dejected.
- Painful thinking---The depressed person can be very introspective in a self-derogatory way. He/she ruminates a great deal over past mistakes, feels guilty, even when innocent. He may feel responsible when he is not. He feels at fault when blameless. He worries excessively over all kinds of wrongs in the past. His thoughts are self-debasing, etc. etc.
- Physical Symptoms ---Actual biochemical changes have various physical results. The body movements of the depressed individual usually decrease. The quality of sleep is affected. His appetite is also affected. He either eats too much or too little. There are many physical symptoms that are a result of depression.
- Anxiety or agitation---these usually occur together. The depressed individual feels anxious and often is more irritable than usual. The depressed individual feels tense and has difficulty sitting still.
- Delusional thinking---this differs from painful thinking only in degree---the delusional thinker is clearly out of touch with reality. This is a paradox for the Holy Spirit gifted Christian who has visions, hears the voice of God and the Lord has given him/her special insight. Psychiatrists are doctors of the soul (mind, will and emotions). They are not usually able to recognize the difference between delusional thinking and the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
This is why it is so important that we align all of our visions, word of knowledge, and word of wisdom, and prophecy with the written Word of God. It is also imperative that when we “hear” the Word of God, before we act on that word, the Lord will give at least three confirmations. The Lord would never ask us to walk out on a “word”, “a dream” or “a vision”, if he had not confirmed it with at least three witnesses. The witness of the Holy Spirit may come to us through another Christian, circumstances, or the Word of God.
This does not mean that we will not take “faith walks”. All of my personal walks of faith have been after the Lord has spoken and I have received confirmation, not before he has spoken. If the Lord has not spoken and given confirmation, then I would be in the sin of presumption.
There is safety in a multitude of counselors. When the Lord requires a “faith walk” on my part, I seek out Godly counselors whom I have learned to trust their wisdom and discernment over many years.
HEALTHY PEOPLE
- Do not try to control others. It is called liberty.
- Have and trust feelings.
- Get our emotional needs met in healthy ways
- We feel like we belong.
- We are not better or worse than others. (We do not compare ourselves with others.)
- The world is a safe place to be.
- We are okay in the world under God’s care.
- We are able to resist the devil.
- We are open to truth, there are no walls. We have healthy boundaries.
- We are able to receive our salvation.
- We delight in God’s Word and His ways.
- We are slow to take offense.
The Lord spoke to us about the importance of not taking offence, being offended and getting our feelings hurt.
What each one of us “feels” is important. However, if we allow our feelings to rule our lives, we would all end up in a black pit of self-pity, anger, bitterness and unforgiveness. Wouldn’t that be yuk!!! Truth and Love is fact, not circumstances or feelings. We can place our emotions and feelings on the same altar of faith as our salvation, deliverance, miracles and healing. The Lord loves perfectly and will fill our cups to the brim with his love. This can only be done when we are willing to “get-over” our feelings, forgive our offenses, our hurts, our own mistakes and failures and allow the Lord to exchange the pain for happiness (joy unspeakable and full of glory).
The Lord wants His Church to be happy, whole and well.
When our cup is empty, we feel desperate, fearful, oversensitive, anxious, rejected, angry, confused, abandoned, exhausted, invisible, controlled, used, manipulated, empty, loneliness, complaining, condemning, and loss of identify. These are among the living dead.
When our cup is full, we have the Life and Light of Christ flowing through us. We are living in the Glory of God (his nature). We feel whole, joyful, competent, interested, strong, comfortable, peaceful, fulfilled, grateful, happy, excited, trusting, alone-ness, togetherness, hopeful, faith and faithful, loving, righteous, contentment, wisdom, knowledge and understanding.
“Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning” (Ps. 30:5).
Pseudo Christianity – slaps band aids on an open wound. These are rigid, legalistic, condemning, bossy, demanding, religious without mercy, controlling, self-righteous, not experiencing life, liberty, joy, peace and righteousness. These are the white washed tombs.
The journey to the union of happiness of being “in love” with God has many “dark nights” along the way. St. John of the Cross, captured this journey in his poem, “The Dark Night of the Soul”:
“On a dark night, kindled in love with yearnings---oh, happy chance!
I went forth without being observed, my house being now at rest.
In darkness and secure, by the secret ladder, disguised---oh, happy chance!
In the happy night, in secret, when none saw me,
Nor I beheld aught, without light or guide, save that which burned in my heart. This light guided me more surely than the light of noonday,
To the place where he (well I knew who!) was awaiting me---a place were none appeared.
Oh night that guided me, Oh, night more lovely than the dawn.
Oh night that joined Beloved with lover, Lover transformed in the Beloved!”
(St. John of the Cross)
“Into this dark night souls begin to enter when God draws them forth…and begins to set them in the state of progressives---after passing through, they may arrive at the state of the perfect, which is that of the Divine union of the soul with God. to that end we may better understand and explain what night is this through which the soul passes, and for what cause God sets it therein…realizing the weakness of the state wherein they are, they may take courage, and may desire that God will bring them into this night, wherein the soul is strengthened and confirmed in the virtues, and made ready for the inestimable delights of the love of God. Although we may tarry her for a time, it will not be for longer than is necessary, so that we may go on to speak at once of this dark night.” (St. John of the Cross)
The Lord took me through my own journey of the Dark Night of the Soul. I have written of this spiritual journey in my message, “Death of the Carnal Soul” on the website under sermon notes, www.eastgateministries.com
The Lord is extending his love without condemnation to set the church free into Happiness. This is the realm of the Spirit, the Kingdom of God on earth as it is in Heaven. It is the realm of no more night, joy, peace and righteousness in the Holy Ghost. It is living and breathing in the Kingdom of God on earth as it is in Heaven. It is a pain free zone.
Carolyn Sissom, Pastor
Eastgate Ministries, Inc.
Scripture from K.J.V.
I entered into the labors of Happiness is a Choice by: Minirth and Meier; and Dark Night of the Soul by St. John of the Cross. Comments and conclusions are my own and not meant to reflect the views of those who I entered into their labors. See “Death of the Carnal Soul” by Carolyn Sissom, www.eastgateministries.com