Don't Worry, Be Happy

  • Carlton Williams
  • Feb 17, 2009
  • Series: Chew On This

Matthew 5:3 ‘How happy are those who know their need for God, for the kingdom of Heaven is theirs!’  - J.B. Phillips

DON’T WORRY, BE HAPPY

Jesus’ sermon in Matthew chapter five is one of His most popular recorded sermons in Scripture.  It is commonly known as the ‘Beatitudes’ or the ‘Sermon on the Mount.’ He begins each sentence with the phrase, ‘blessed are…’ The word translated ‘blessed’, literally means ‘happy’ (as seen in the J.B. Phillips translation above).  If I were to give a modern title to this sermon, I would title it ‘Jesus’ Secrets of True Happiness.’

God wants us to be happy! Let’s look at the evidence: God went to great lengths to create a universe with everything in it to support humanity. The universe was not created in a haphazard way, it was created with great precision. The more physicists, biologists and other scientists learn about the universe, the better we understand how it is uniquely suited for our existence, custom-made with the exact specifications that make human life possible.  The Bible teaches that God prepared everything else before He created us.  He didn’t create us because He was lonely, He created us so that we could be the object of His love.  He wants us to be happy!

It was when man sinned and turned his back on God that pain and sadness came into the world but when Jesus came He said, ‘I have come to give you life, real life; I have come to restore you to the same happiness and fulfilment you once had!’ (Paraphrase of John 10:10)

In Matthew chapter 5, I believe Jesus unlocks the secrets of true happiness; but if there is ‘true’ happiness, there must be ‘false’ happiness too. Let’s look at the word ‘happy’, what does ‘happy’ mean? The word ‘happy’ is derived from the word ‘hap’ which means ‘luck’ from which we get words like ‘happened’. As a result, the world has come to define a happy person as someone who has good luck that leads to a state of satisfaction; so happiness in the world’s terms is not guaranteed. It just depends on how lucky you are. If you ‘happen’ to be born on the right side of the tracks and ‘happen’ to have good circumstances come your way, and ‘happen’ to be at the right place at the right time, it would lead to satisfaction in life. 

Jesus shows us here the way to true happiness: satisfaction that is not dependent on circumstances.  The person here is one who has discovered the secrets of true well being and satisfaction from God’s way of doing things instead of the world’s way.

Think about it… where have you got your pattern of how to live from? Movies, parents, magazines... where?

Well God ought to know the way, after all He created us… Have you ever owned a piece of equipment, tried to figure out how it worked and got nowhere? Then after a while, decided to consult the manufacturer or the manufacturer’s handbook that came with it? Well that’s what we should do with our lives – contact our manufacturer who has the secret to our lives.

Let us briefly examine an area that erodes our walk towards the fulfilment and satisfaction that God desires for us. The Bible calls this practice a sin against God – it is like pouring water into a petrol engine; it ruins the whole system.

This is the practice of anxiety or worry.  Anxiety is the uneasiness or tension caused by apprehension of possible misfortune. It is fear not just that what we desire will not come to pass, but that what we fear most will happen. The Bible teaches that anxiety is sin. It ruins the human system and short-circuits our dreams because anxiety always focuses on failure. Whatever we focus on is ultimately what we create.

But how do we focus on the right things given that in a lot of cases where anxiety sets in, there are legitimate reasons for apprehension. How do we deal with this fear?

Philippians 4:6-7 says, ‘Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’ (emphasis mine)

God hasn’t created the human being to carry worry and anxiety. He hasn’t created us to function without Him.  Our fulfilment in life is not proven by our independence from Him but our dependence on Him. Just like a petrol car engine cannot function without petrol, humanity cannot function without God. 

So stop holding those cares and burdens in your life. Roll them over to Him and trust Him to provide the wisdom and grace to help you.

Don’t worry! Be Happy!