Hope - Vital to Happiness

A rently promoted concept dubbed positive psych0logy holds that optimism, cultivated by positive thinking and by focusing on one's personal strengths, can lead to happiness.  Few would deny that an optimistic  view of life and of the future adds to our happiness.  However, such optimism  has to be based on fact, not just wishful thinking.  Besides no amount of optimism or positive thinking will elimate war, starvation, disease,  pollution, old age, sickness, or death - things that rob so many of their happiness.  Nonetheless, optimism does have its place.

Interestingly, the Bible does not use the word optimism; it uses a more powerful word - hope.  Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary defines "hope" as used in the Bible as "favorable and confident expectation, . . .the happy anticipation of good. In Bible usage, hope is more than an optimistic view of a situation.  It also refers to the thing upon which one's hope is fixed.  (Ephesians 4:4;  1 Peter 1:3)  The  Christian hope, for instance, is that all the undesirable things mentioned in the preceding paragraph will soon be done away with. (Psalm 37:9-11, 29) But it embraces more.

Christians look forward to the time, when faithful humans will attain to perfect life on a paradise earth.  (Luke 23:42, 43 ) Enlarging on that hope, Revelation 21:3, 4 says: "Look! The tent of God is with mankind, and he will reside with them, and they will be his peoples. . . . And he will wipe out ever tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore.  The former things have passed away."

Any one who expects to have such a future has every reason to be happy, even if his present circumstances leave much to be desired.  (James 1:12)  So why  not investigate the Bible and find out why you can believe it.  Strengthen you hope by spending  time each day reading the Bible.  Doing so will enrich you spiritually, help you avoid the things that rob people of happiness, and build up your sense of contentment.  Yes, the ultimate secret to real happiness is doing the will of God.  (Ecclesiastes 12:13) A life built on obeying the Bible's  precepts is a happy life, for Jesus said: "Happy are those hearing the word of God and keeping it!" - Luke 11:28.

Next time: What Is the Spiritual Paradise?

The Watchtower, 2001

DO YOU HAVE"THE MIND OF CHRIST?"

Conclusion of He Expressed Belief in His Disciples

What does this revealing account teach us about the mind of Christ? Jesus had seen his apostles at their worst, yet he "loved them to the end." (John 13:1) Despite their shortcomings, he let them know that he believed in them. Notice that Jesus' confidence was not misplaced. The confidence and faith that he had expressed in them no doubt strengthened them to be resolved in their hearts to carry out the work he commanded them to do.

How can we demonstrate the mind of Christ in this regard? Do not be pessimistic about fellow believers. If you think the worst, your words and actions will likely reveal it. (Luke 6:45) However, the Bible tells us that love "believes all things." ( 1 Corinthians 13:7) Love is positive, not negative. It builds up rather than tears down. People respond more readily to love and encouragement than to intimidation. We can build up and encourage other by expressing confidence in hem. (1 Thessalonians 5:11) If, like Christ, we have a positive view of our brothers, we will treat them in ways that build them up and draw out the best in them.

Cultivating and demonstrating the mind of Christ goes deeper than just imitating certain things Jesus did. As mentioned in the preceding article, if we are truly to act like Jesus, we must first learn to view things as he did. The Gospels enable us to see another aspect of his personality, his thoughts and feelings about is assigned work, as the next article will discuss.

Next time: ARE YOU MOVED TO ACT AS JESUS WAS?

Watchtower, 2000

The Key To A Happy World

A Government To Bring Happiness


A third reason why Jesus stayed out of politics is that he knew that at a future set time, God would establish a heavenly government to rule over the earth. The Bible calls this government God's Kingdom, and it was the main theme of Jesus' teaching. (Luke 4:43; Revelation 11:15) Jesus taught his disciples to pray for that Kingdom to come, for only under its rule will 'God's will be done on earth as it is in heaven.' (Matthew 6:9, 10) You may wonder, 'If this Kingdom is going to rule over the entire earth, what will happen to man-made governments?

The answer is found at Daniel 2:44: "In the days of those kings [ruling at the end of the present system] the true God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be brought to ruin. And the kingdom itself will not be passed on to any other people. It will crust and put an end to all these [man-made] kingdoms, and it itself will stand to times indefinite." Why will God's Kingdom have to "crush" earthly rulerships? Because these insist on perpetuating the God-defying spirit of self-determination promoted by Satan back in the garden of Eden. In addition to working against mankind's best interests, those who strive to perpetuate that spirit put themselves on a collision course with the Creator. (Psalm 2:6-12; Revelation 16:14, 16) Hence,we must ask ourselves, 'Are we for or against rule by God?'

Next time: Whose Sovereignty Will You Choose?

Watchtower, 2001