Religions make it appear that there is a key to happiness and give the impression that they have the key, and enjoy people always look to them for happiness!
Interestingly, Jesus meant there is no key to happiness, but it is the very nature of all human beings. (Luke 17:21) People like JWs did not even translate this verse properly. The Greek word (ἐντός) should have correctly been translated as “within” as every translation has done elsewhere (Compare Mathew 23:26). What is required is that one should RE-DISCOVER who he is and whom he belongs to, and stabilize in the realization. It is all about unfolding, not about acquiring!
We are the spirit children (of God who is “spirit”) in human form. (John 4:24); hence qualities of the spirit should come NATURALLYto us. That is why the Bible simply commands us to “put on” spirit personality “in true righteousness and holiness,” as if it is done as easily as you change your dress. It simply repeats: “Walk by the spirit,” “serving one another” and manifesting the qualities “of the spirit.” (Galatians 5:13, 16, 22-25)
When one engages in counterfeit happiness, as described in Galatians 5:19-21, those actions do not happen naturally. One seeks privacy before the act, and cover-up after the act, and repeated denial later whenever questioned by others. People impeach or remove even the President of their country for engaging in the works of the flesh.
Once re-discovered that you are happiness, be stable about it, as fire consistently display its qualities of heat and light. This you can do by the following ways:
1) By seeking harmony. Life is all about relationship. You are related to all humans via our heavenly Father (Mathew 23:9) Conflict means wastage of energy. If someone seems to be difficult to deal with, that is because he lives as though in a basement, thinking that is what happiness is all about, and nothing beyond! That means he has not experienced the real happiness that comes from showing genuine love. Hence we can be sympathetic about such people.
2) By refusing to see the mistakes of others. Everyone has an ocean of experiences (his or of others) around him to correct/fine-tune his ways (Mathew 7:3). When you try to control others, you lose your happiness!
3) Know the relationship between all happenings. One thing leads to another. Nothing happens to us which we do not deserve (Isaiah 3:10, 11 and Galatians 6:7). This realization would help us to
say good-bye to the past
enjoy the present and to
welcome the future.
