Happiness or Blessing

Ron Simkins – December 10, 2024 3 Comments

Pastor emeritus Ron Simkins refocuses our hopes and goals during this holiday season. May his words bless you as they did me. -Renée 

We are entering the “I wish you a merry Christmas and a Happy New Year” season. I am not a Scrooge; so, I do WISH you a HAPPY New Year. I think it would be nice, but honestly, I have never experienced a whole year of happiness. Have you?

Thankfully, happiness is not what God promises, and wishes are not what God wants us to focus on. Happiness comes and goes as a result of what we are experiencing at the time. Wishing usually is either unfounded optimism, or a phrase indicating we really don’t much expect what we wish would happen.

God works with “hoping” far more than wishing. Hoping means “waiting expectantly” for God to act—sometimes sooner; sometimes later. And, if we trust God enough to “hope,” we are promised not happiness, but blessings. To be “blessed” is to receive ultimate good and ultimate favor.

(An aside: I think the modern translations that translate “happy” in the place of “blessed” are terribly misleading. The “pursuit of happiness” is a horrible goal for life. The pursuit of being blessed by God is a wonderful goal for life.)

It seems good to share a personal illustration. As my wife Donna was dying from the broken body and the dementia that Parkinson’s Disease brought, my wishes certainly were not occurring. And, although not totally absent, there were only short moments of happiness for my family during those last horrendous weeks of death and covid isolation. But, we could “wait expectantly” both for God to be present, and for God to take Donna into God’s presence. And, we could trust that God would find ways to honor the promise: “Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted (encouraged)” [Matthew 5:4].

And, yes, God did show up in various important ways as we mourned, and God continues to show up. God continues to be present with us and encourage us, that life with God is real life, and that Donna is with God.

So, while “I wish you a merry Christmas and a Happy New Year” in order not to be a Scrooge, what I pray for you is that God will increase your “hoping” (expectant waiting) for God to “bless” (encourage) you no matter what you encounter in the days ahead. Be blessed and be a blessing!

Ron S – 12/10/24