The Way to True Happiness

Posted on May 10, 2011 at 09.12 AM - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Many people believe that material possession, fame, and pursuit of desires will bring them happiness in life. However, do such things really bring true happiness?

Solomon of old is a very rich king of his time (around 10 BC), famous, and got to pursue every desire of his heart. Every year, as reported in the book of 1st King 10:14 and 15, he received around 23,000 kg of gold from kings of Arab and governors of Israel regions. If now 1 ounce of gold worth 1,500 USD, then 23,000 kg of gold is worth 1,2 billion USD today, and he got this gift every year in his 40 years of reign. It's difficult to imagine his wealth right?

He also built many palaces, cities and parks around his capital city, Jerusalem, possessed 700 wifes and 300 concubines. However, has he really found true happiness in his life? Let's consider this king's words in the book of Ecclesiastes 2:1, "I said to myself, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure to find out what is good.” But that also proved to be meaningless." Meaningless and void - that's how he felt.

Therefore, Jesus told his disciples that true happiness comes from giving, not from material and selfish pursuit of one's desire. Let's see this principle in the book of Bible, Act 20:35 part b: "Keep Jesus's reminder" "There is more happiness in giving than there is in receiving.""

How can we perform giving? Aside from giving out materially, we can give our energy, time, and other things, which are more precious indeed, especially in the family setting. Husband and wife need to find time together to maintain their marriages strong and happy. Parents have to invest lots of time with their children, talk to them, show deep founded love, and teach them in ways of happiness. If all members of the family perform giving in this regard, they will grow stronger as a family, and their homes will become source of rejoice.

By the way, when you receive something from others, be it time, energy or other things - do you show gratitude? By applying this principle, our relationship with others will grow stronger and we will find true happiness. When some one show his gratitude to you sincerely, does it not fill your heart with happiness?

By showing gratitude, we can actually count our blessing in life consciously. In a research done by one expert in the University of California at Riverside USA, he asked his subjects to write a "thank you" journal, a diary detailing every blessing they received in their daily life. Not surprising tough, in just within 6 weeks, his subjects felt much happier than before.

The conclusion? No matter what circumstances you are in, learn to count your blessings and perform giving in terms of time, energy or other material things to help one another in life. If you do all these things, then we will be happier in life.

Life is beautiful! Let's make it meaningful and colorful!