What Is The Source of Happiness?

To listen to this SBG Cast, click here: http://tinyurl.com/2falfws

How many times in our daily lives do we meet people who are just unhappy? Life can throw so many curve balls our way that sometimes happiness seems like an elusive concept, left only to those who “have everything”. Hi, I’m Steve Beaman and welcome to the Spiritual Path.

I have had the good fortune in my life to live in many different circumstances. Following college, I faced financial success, followed by financial failure, only to rebuild and find success, only to be severely set back. I’ve had the blessing of marriage, and the wonderment of children, only to be dealt the hand of divorce and separation from those children. So from Buicks to Rolls Royce’s, from singleness to a large family, and back again, I have spent more time than most pondering the question of “what is the source of happiness”. I realize that this question is far too broad to answer in a single SBG Cast, as volumes of books have been written about it. But can we summarize it in a way that quickly, and with a concise message offers the keys to unlocking happiness in our lives?

Pastor Rick Warren wrote in his book, the Purpose Driven Life that it is PURPOSE in our lives that leads to happiness. I believe that’s true, but it’s only part of it. In my life, the reality is that yes, purpose is one of the keys to unlocking happiness as we are in fact happier when we’re on a mission we believe in. But forgiveness and thankfulness are also keys in that we cannot be truly happy when we harbor ill will about others, or even about ourselves, or when we forget to be thankful for what we have, and instead focus our energy on what we don’t have. In addition, the concept of safety and security play strongly into the notion of happiness. Yes, here I’m referring to basic safety and security, but also about something larger. I am convinced more and more as I get older, that we as people deal intensely with the question of “what’s it all about?” “Is this it?” This is a thought stream that has been circling this earth for a very long time. The Old-Testament book of Ecclesiastes is all about the vanity of life and how all of our efforts are in vain. We grow up, we become educated, we strive to provide a living for ourselves and our families and we raise children to grow up, become educated and strive to provide a living for their families, only to raise children to grow up, become educated and strive to provide a living for their families. You get the picture. It’s a cycle we’ve been on for thousands of years.

The question of “is this it” is a large part of the reason for religious views to enjoy popularity. They seek to answer the question of “why”. This is why we’ve added the Spiritual Path to the Steve Beaman Group. True happiness, I don’t believe, can be found without a Spiritual understanding.

Now with that said, I’ve made it plain that my source of eternal security is found in the cross. The reasons are plentiful and the older I get, the more I find there to be historical accuracy to the Scriptures. But in addition to the eternal salvation found in the Messiah, the scriptures also teach us to be thankful for what we’ve been given, and to see our lives as stewards over our resources, rather than owners, and to find purpose in serving the higher purposes of God. I’ve found that when my focus is in fact on God and His purposes, and I’m living as a Steward, not an owner of all that I have, my content and my happiness abound. But when, on the other hand, I’m living in a world consumed by ownership, and focusing on my own problems, I find that I’m not happy, but quite frankly, on a slippery slope to being miserable.

So for me, on my Spiritual Path, the source of happiness is as simple as living to the Scriptures that we’ve been gifted by God. A focus on eternal salvation, a focus on stewardship, and a focus on thankfulness! There’s more to it of course, and this links directly to the emotional path and our ability to forgive others and ourselves, but it’s a pretty good starting place. If you’re today finding yourself in less than a happy place, think about your relationship with God and His Son. Maybe, just maybe, by working to serving His purposes rather than your own, you too will find contentment and happiness!