The Secret of Happiness

According to WebMD, scientists and researchers have found 12 secrets that make people happy. Here they are listed in order:

1. Optimism

2. Love

3. Courage

4. Sense of choice

5. Proactivity

6. Security

7. Good health

8. Spirituality

9. Altruism

10. Perspective

11. Humor

12. Purpose

What if I was to tell you that this is not the real secret of happiness? Don't get me wrong, I think all of the 12 "secrets" are great skills to practice. Indeed, I believe that I do actually try to practice most of those things in my life...but the real reason that I am happy is because of my relationship with Jesus Christ.

The only lasting happiness I have found in my life is the joy of knowing God's love, really experiencing His care and compassion in my life. As the Bible says (NIV Translation) in the book Romans, "If God is for us, who can be against us?...Nothing can separate us from the love of God which is Christ Jesus our Lord".

In my relationship with God, I have come to experience the fruit of the Spirit which is "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control" from Galatians 5:22-23. The 12 principles listed are practical and applicable in my daily life but they are not the reason that I am happy. My hope and my lasting happiness comes from know a God that cares for me more than I can ever imagine. This relationship with God gives me: optimism, love, courage, sense of choice, proactivity, security, good health, spirituality, altruism, perspective, humor, and purpose. Happiness can never been found in anything but in the One who created Happiness in the first place, the awesome Creator.

Note: My wife and I will be on a honeymoon in the next few weeks, I will resume blogging at the beginning of May. Hopefully, I will be able to upload some awesome pictures of God's blessing us on our cruise in Asia.