Confidence Makes Us Happy - A Series on Confidence, Part 15
“The hope of the righteous shall be gladness: but the expectation of the wicked shall perish.”
“Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God:”
Do you want to be happy? Who doesn't, right? The Declaration of Independence states, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." We have the right to pursue happiness. Unfortunately, we often search for it in all the wrong places. We think we'll be happy when we have the perfect spouse or the right job or more money. But happiness cannot be bought nor can it be obtained through possessions or earthly relationships.
I did a quick search for the phrase "find happiness" on Amazon, and the outcome was over 8,000 results. It seems everyone has plans, tips, and recipes for a happy life and will gladly share this information with you for a nominal fee. Save your money and the time it would take to weed through the various resources claiming to know the secret to true happiness. God has already freely revealed it in His Word.
The word "hope" in the two Scripture verses above is used to express the idea of expectation or confidence. It's not a wish or flippant desire. It indicates a sure thing. So, we would not harm the Scripture in any way if we use the word, "confidence," in our application. The confidence of the righteous shall be gladness. Happy is he whose confidence is in the Lord his God. Gladness. Happiness. That's what we're looking for, right?
So, what's the key to happiness? Confidence in God. Trusting Who God is and what He can do. Taking Him at His word and leaving all the results in His hands. When you stop and think about it, the whole thing is really quite obvious. If we aren't weighed down by the cares of the world and fretting about what has been or is to come, there would be no reason NOT to be happy. It is doubt, worry, and anxiety that steal our song. When we get rid of those things by placing our confidence in God, our hearts feel lighter and our souls are glad.
Can it really be that simple? According to the Bible, yes, it can. I guess there's some truth to be had in the old song, "Don't Worry; Be Happy." Maybe that should be our theme song until we get the hang of this confidence thing.