Dear Editor,
Life is wonderful, but wonderful to me has a much different meaning maybe than most people.
There was a time when the love of the flesh and red wine was more important than changing me to be a better person.
The world has a need for people who need spiritual knowledge of God to attain peace of mind, many people search for happiness that leads to their own demise.
Happiness depends on something to happen to you for you to feel happy. Read well, that is very sad because if you need something to happen to you to feel happy it might never happen. In many cases, people spend money seeking happiness only to be disappointed by people who will deceive them because they get happy by fooling and deceiving others.
Joy, in the Biblical context, is not an emotion. Happiness is an emotion and temporary: joy is an attitude of the heart.
Having a nice car and big house and the most beautiful woman or husband can bring happiness, but what if that person betrays you, or your nice car gets totally lost in an accident or your beautiful house gets destroyed in a hurricane. Would life be over for you because the essence of your happiness is gone?
Having much money can bring happiness but if it is used wrongly it can establish sorrows and sadness. To me, joy is doing what is right and understanding that life has a purpose to please God and that only through Him life will bring Joy. Now, I am far from perfect and still a long way to go. But the fact that I understand that only God can give you a peace of mind and save you if you live pleasing to Him which is a relationship with God that cures all challenges in life. This is what brings joy.
Joy depends on my relationship with God and not what happens in the world with me. True happiness is joy, but not what happens to you. I now understand why some disabled people can have joy and why many healthy and educated people with money can be unhappy. Some people kill themselves because their lover does not want them anymore. That is because they depend on someone to make them happy.
2 Corinthians 6:10: As sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.
When God forgives us He demands a change in attitude and conduct. God does not forgive people to continue living in sin, He forgives people that you will turn away from sin.
Joy is established by righteous living, but living for pleasure in the end will bring sorrows, it never lasts. Only God lasts forever because righteousness and the grace of God establish joy which endures. Conclusion: seek joy. Joy always endures.
The Patriot Miguel Arrindell
