"Jesus went up on a mountain side and sat down, His disciples came to Him and He began to teach them, say Blessed are the poor in spirit. . ."
- Matthew 5:2-12 (Jesus give the Sermon on the Mount in which He give the Beatitudes.)

HOW TO FIND HAPPINESS!
 
Each beatitude tells how to be blessed, "Blessed means more than happiness. It implies the fortunate or enviable state of those who are in God's kingdom. the Beatitudes don't promise laughter, pleasure, or earthly prosperity. To Jesus, "Blessed" means the experience of hope and joy, independent of outward circumstances. To find hope and joy, the deepest form of happiness, follow Jesus no matter what the cost.
 
There are least four ways to understand the Beatitudes. (1) They are a code of ethics for the disciples and a standard of conduct for all believers. (2) They contrast . . .

"Jesus went up on a mountain side and sat down, His disciples came to Him and He began to teach them, say Blessed are the poor in spirit. . ."
- Matthew 5:2-12 (Jesus give the Sermon on the Mount in which He give the Beatitudes.)

HOW TO FIND HAPPINESS!
 
Each beatitude tells how to be blessed, "Blessed means more than happiness. It implies the fortunate or enviable state of those who are in God's kingdom. the Beatitudes don't promise laughter, pleasure, or earthly prosperity. To Jesus, "Blessed" means the experience of hope and joy, independent of outward circumstances. To find hope and joy, the deepest form of happiness, follow Jesus no matter what the cost.
 
There are least four ways to understand the Beatitudes. (1) They are a code of ethics for the disciples and a standard of conduct for all believers. (2) They contrast kingdom values (what is eternal) with worldly values (what is temporary). (3) They contrast the superficial "faith" of the Pharisees with the real faith Christ wants. (4) They show how the OT expectations will be fulfilled in the new kingdom. These beatitudes are not multiple choice, pick what you like and leave the rest. They must be taken as a whole. They describe what we should be like as Christ's followers.
 
I know that this does not solve all your problems. Since there is no complete goodness on earth, there can be no complete happiness. The central happiness of the Christian, however, includes this, that he sees God busy with the problems that destroy happiness. Evil speaks of His patience, nature of His glory, and the Cross of the Crown.
 
"Rejoice in Him!" Again, again
The Spirit speaks the word,
And faith takes up the happy strain:
"Our joy is in the LORD."
 
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY - The Christian's happiness is not determined by happenings.