Can't You Just Be Happy?

Obviously many of you have not been with us through all 650 of our topics.  The study we have been on recently is under-girded by past subjects.  I looked back to find the first time we used the analogy of a toddler in relationship to free will and relationships; what is below is a combination of several topics from our archives.

Please think through the what we have been pondering: Common Thoughts of God, Not Man.  Remember, even thought all things are common to man, we are not supposed to think like men.  We are not to exchange the higher thoughts of God for the common lesser ideals the world deems as good, healthy or even wise:


Spiritually counseling others through family, individual and personal crisis for years, I get asked many questions and listen to many monologues in regard to others behavior and God's will.  People have asked me, "If God doesn't believe in divorce or retaliation then I have to ask, Doesn't God want me to be happy?  Others will state, "I think ____ because God wants me to be happy".  

God tells us not to lean on our own understanding.  He also tells us that His thoughts are not like our thoughts.  He is omnipresent, seeing the end of all time from the beginning of all time.  We cannot begin to perceive as He does or to comprehend what is best, just and fair for everyone involved.  However, we can believe that He desires for us to be well, at peace and be able to express that He is a good God.  Which means we must ask Him to explain our situations to us in ways that we may mature and be stable.

I understand these dilemmas, we all do; they are common to everyone.  Not everyone has been abused physically, but we all have been emotionally.  There were times when I was told that God sometimes wants these things to happen to us for various reasons.  I do not agree.  I believe that God desires us to love one another and to treat each other as He loves us.  He believes we should be able to choose what we believe and protects our right to act accordingly.  He lovingly tells us the facts and expresses His desire for us to do what He faithfully advises, but much like a toddler we say NO, I don't want to.  God is not going to force us to change, but He will change us completely when we say "okay, I want to change".  

"Why will they not just stop doing what they do?", is another common question I am asked.  If any of us could just make all new habits and never fail, we would be the most self disciplined people God created. All we would have to do is take the list of laws and set our will power in place. This is what the pharisees and Sadducee's accomplished, rigid discipline.  Do you think they were "happy?"

The problem with rules without love, is that while we can push ourselves to do right, we usually do not love others well.  The reason is our focus is always on our self: how we look, how good we are doing in comparison to others.  This causes hatred, bitterness, isolation and many other ugly things. We cannot see anyone except ourselves.  If we cannot see real people, how can we possibly see an invisible God.

God understands that we cannot change without first being loved well.  It is through being loved completely that we are completely changed.  Do not think that God will put you in a place and abuse you in order to help another.  God, will use isolation, hard times and other things to get a rebellious souls to say "mercy".  There are times however, when others will be in your space, maybe friends, parents, a spouse or siblings and they will decide "I don't want to treat you right!" "I don't want to stop!"  These are the times when God's holy spirit will be right with you grieving and beseeching you to not retaliate due to hurt emotions.  

God expects us to be at peace, first with Him, then with others so that we may be at peace with ourselves.  When others mistreat us - God will help us deal righteously.  Romans 8 explains that just because evil was done, does not mean that evil will win out.  God will turn their hurts into help for someone else.  You see God doesn't need to harm us in order to teach us - But if we are not listening or others get onto our paths and create chaos, He is perfectly able to rectify the situation.

Let Him prove it to you - Christ is His first bit of proof, and He is ever interceding for a glorious victory!

Kisses,
Candace

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