The Foundation Of Happiness
DID YOU KNOW THAT HAPPINESS HAS MEDICINAL PROPERTIES?
A happy heart is good medicine and a joyful mind causes healing, But a broken spirit dries up the bones – Proverb 17:22 (Amplified Bible)
The Foundation And Pillars Of Happiness
I have been thinking about how we can have happier lives. Are there such things as foundations of happiness? How about pillars that can keep our happiness from crashing? I was reminded that we do not have any foundations, just one foundation, and today we celebrate His Birthday!
Merry Christmas!
“For no one can lay any foundation other than the one that has been laid; that foundation is Jesus Christ” 1 Corithians 3:11 (ESV)
"He will be the sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the Lord is the key to this treasure". Isaiah 33:6 (NIV)
I looked up the words “Happiness”, “Joy” and “Merry” in Merriam-Webster dictionary. Here’s what I found:
Happiness: is a state of well-being and contentment: (synonym: joy)
Joy: is a feeling of great happiness or pleasure: (synonym: delight)
Merry: suggests cheerful, joyous, uninhibited enjoyment of frolic or festivity.
So, where you find happiness, joy is not very far, and the reverse is also true. And in this festive season it is right and fitting that we be happy, joyful and merry.
As in “let’s eat, drink and be merry”. All this goes hand in hand with giving and receiving gifts, gathering with family and friends, the whole package that makes this season so special.
BUT …
On the scale of 1 to 10, what is your reading on the HappiMeter?
Are you close to 10 or maybe you think we should have an option of selecting zero?
Here are some of the things that can push our HappiMeter reading close to zero
Interpersonal Relationships
How we get along with others (or don’t get along!) can affect our numbers on the HappiMeter scale. The greatest impact on the negative side is if there are strained relationships (estrangement) with our nearest and dearest, like a child, a sibling or a parent.
If you are dealing with this, I want to encourage you to look to the One we are celebrating today. He will comfort, strengthen and sustain you. Trust me, I’ve been there and He did it for me so I have no doubt that He can do the same for you!
Bereavement!
When the whole world is focused on making merry, it’s easy to forget that there are those who are dealing with the loss of a loved one. If it was up to me, I would ban death during certain periods of life and I would not let anyone die on Christmas day! Can you imagine what it’s like to lose a family member on Christmas day?
I don’t have to imagine, because I know exactly what it’s like. It has happened to me, not once, but twice!
Many in our midst are mourning loved ones that have passed on recently; this is the first time that they are having a Christmas without that special person. So how do you cope?
We lean on Emmanuel, God with us, as we celebrate His birth today. He is also:
The Prince of Peace who gives us the peace that surpasses understanding.
The Wonderful Counselor who will guide you and let you know what to do and how to get it done.
And He has made The Comforter, the Holy Spirit, available to us for help in times of need (which is all the time, it’s just that sometimes we are not aware that we need help!)
Lacking The Foundation
The Creator designed us with a special place in our hearts for Himself. He paid the ultimate price to restore us to Himself by sending us the Savior, the only One who could redeem us from sin. Does He have a right to be in our lives? Definitely.
Does He just come in automatically? No!
He waits to be invited in. If you haven’t already, let this be the day when you join the Family of God by accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.
“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His Name” John 1:12 NASB)
What a great reason to eat, drink and be merry!
MERRY CHRISTMAS
Shared in a Facebook post December 25, 2025
