What makes you Happy?

Meditation from Esther Chapter 5

Happiness is never experienced constantly and various causes affect one's happiness. Haman's life is a good example for us to understand where lies our happiness.

1. Respect & Rewards: Haman was happy that day because the Queen had invited him for a banquet and to enjoy it with the King (5:4, 9a).

When we are invited by someone high in authority to a place of prominence and given respect, we feel happy. For some (or many???) even the invitation to a good food brings happiness!!

Haman's life shows that this happiness is short-lived. The moment he stepped out of the palace his happiness was lost. When he saw Mordecai at the King's gate, he lost his happiness and became angry (5:9b).

He forgot the honour that he received from the most powerful people of that kingdom and lost his happiness because one man didn't respect him.

When our happiness depends upon the respect or acceptance we receive from people, our happiness will undergo levels of variation.

But when we understand our identity in Christ we will be secure and joyful always.

2. Money & Wealth: Infuriated Haman who lost his happiness shows off all that he possesses to people. He recounts the splendor of his riches (5:11).

If money & wealth is where lies our happiness, we will be happy only when we have plenty & are prosperous and we will lose our joy when we face crisis.

The more we seek money & wealth, the more we will need, never to be satisfied.

"For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil..."
1 Timothy 6:10 NRSV

We need to be like Paul who says,
"I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want."
Philippians 4:12 NIV

3. Family: The second area that Haman shows off is his family, the number of his sons.

It's a good thing to cherish one's family and to develop happiness within the family. But if our happiness lies in our pride of the abundance or well-settlement in our family members, our joy is misplaced and when misfortune strikes we will lose our joy.

We derive happiness when our family members love us and at the same time we lose our happiness when we fail to receive love.

Our love and happiness within our family needs to be centered around Christ; only that can bring forgiveness, hope and true love. We are called to love Christ more than anyone (Matthew 10:37).

4. Promotions & Position: Haman shows off the promotions and advancement he received from the King; that the king had advanced him above all his ministers.

If our happiness lies in our promotions, position and advancement at work & career it will only cause false-pride, misunderstood purpose and anxiety. We will not understand God's purpose for our work. Our happiness will be lost when we lose promotions or positions.

Our worth is not in what we are or what we do, but it is in who we are in Christ. It's not our professional identity that truly defines us, but our identity in Christ.

Even after showing off all of these, Haman says that these do no good as long as he sees Mordecai!

None of these can truly make us happy. They can make us happy for a while, for they are short-lived.

Esther exhibits the right attitude for true happiness. The king in whose eyes she finds favour asks her, "What is your request? It shall be given you, even to the half of my kingdom" (5:2,3).

And Esther requests nothing, but the king to come to the banquet.

God is our Eternal King and we receive true joy when He himself becomes our joy and not what we receive or want from Him. When we understand this we will begin to seek Him, His presence and not what He gives.

"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?"
Romans 8:35 NIV

Being rooted in Christ, His word and His love is the secret of true happiness; every other means of happiness is sinking sand.

Have a blessed day!

Where is your Joy?

Meditation from Nehemiah Chapter 12

Joy in the world's perspective is relative. That is, what gives joy differs from person to person. But for a believer in Christ, it's necessary that our joy must be godly and biblical.

We cannot derive our joy from the world or the devil, that is, that which is ungodly; where lies the temptation.

This chapter of Nehemiah shows four reasons to rejoice.

1. Purity / Consecration - The Israelites rejoiced at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem. They not only dedicated the wall, but the priests & the levites purified themselves and the people.

To "dedicate" is to "consecrate" that is to separate for a purpose.

We should rejoice at the separation of our lives to be holy and only for God.

2. Sacrifice - They rejoiced at the great sacrifice they made (12:43). Sacrifice could mean at least four things for us,

a) Sacrifice of our lips which is praise unto God
b) Sacrificial living
c) Sacrificial giving
d) (living) Sacrifice, that is, committing our bodies to renewed life

In these we should rejoice.

3. Presence of God - God had made them rejoice with great joy (12:43).

Our joy will be in the Lord when we spend time in God's presence.

The verse says that children also rejoiced. We need to teach children also to spend time with God & to receive His strength.

4. People (Leaders) - The people rejoiced over the leaders (priests & levites) who were appointed to oversee. (12:44)

We need to rejoice over our leaders who perform the service of God. The people set apart offerings for the leaders. These leaders performed the service of God, service of purification and set apart (12:47) the offerings (they did not steal).

Where is your Joy?
-Is it in living a separated life for God alone?
-Is it in your joyful, willing & living sacrifices?
-Is it in the presence of God & not in the world?
-Is it over godly leaders?

Have a blessed day!