HAPPINESS AND INTEGRITY

 HAPPINESS AND INTEGRITY

Ps. 119:1 Happy are the people of integrity, who follow the law of the Lord. Happy are those who obey his decrees and search for him with all their hearts. NLT

Almost everyone wants to just be happy in life. People try a countless number of ways to find a semblance of happiness. Promises are made all the time about if a person does this or buys that, that they will find happiness. Many believe happiness is found in a pill, a bank account, popularity, fame, a career, etc. People spend all their lives trying to find happiness and if they perchance do find something that makes them happy, they find out quickly that it doesn't last. The Psalmist tells us where lasting happiness is really found.

Happiness is found by those who have integrity of heart, those who live by the Word of God. Integrity is rooted in the character of God. It is a Christ-likeness in the soul. It is striving to live a life that is pleasing to God. It is doing the right thing, saying the right thing, and thinking about the right things. It is living by God's standards and not the standards of the world.

Happiness is obeying God's Word and searching for Him with all of one's heart. This means that one must regularly be into God's Word. He must read it, meditate upon it, let the Holy Spirit give him an understanding of it, and then seek to apply it to his living. It is living by the highest standard possible, a holy life. It is a life that is much deeper than emotions; it's a life that is steady regardless of the circumstances of life.

Happiness is to know the Lord and living like you do. It's as simple as that.