Does God care if we are happy?

[joebryant]

I don't know if God wants us to be happy, but I do know that after last night I am definitely sure that Washington wants the super-rich to be happy. I feel like I've been sold/betrayed by people, especially ONE, whom I've trusted for two years. "..., but you can't fool all the people all the time."

 

[Louieandthecrew]

True, true (The quote

)

 

[rancher hicks]

Quote:

How that by revelation He made known unto me the mystery; Ephesians 3:3 God reveals it to the believer. Why?


And to make all men see what is the fellowship of this mystery, which from the beginning beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: to the intent unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places (where we cannot see now) might be known by the church (the called out ones assembled) the manifold wisdom of God. According to the eternal purpose which He purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord. Ephesians 3:9-11


Now it seems to me that God reveals it to us. Which is what Jesus meant when He said "Seek and ye shall find, ask and it will be open to you". Hint: prayer is talking to God.

Then opened He their understanding that they might understand the scriptures Luke 24:45


God wants us to know, not with our natural mind but with our spiritual understanding. Again this is how we know God wants us to be happy. When He reveals that we have the opportunity to live in the world as He first created it. That opportunity only comes through Jesus Christ.

Perhaps this seems like preaching but I'm really just sharing with my friends, what I know, because I do care.

Sincerely

Rancher

 

[Louieandthecrew]

Love this thread!

 

[Cindiloohoo]

If God doesn't care if we are happy...then how is this lady happy? I can not even fathom circumstances worse than hers, nor can I fathom being hated before anyone even has the opportunity to know you, but she was, to the point of almost not existing in the first place. Yet, here she stands, miraculous, and beautiful, with a warm sincerity that screams happiness and contentment in the very skin she's in, with all her circumstances, and even disabilities she graciously dubs her blessings. She's got real joy. No doubt. But how? I personally think it is a gift from God to find such happiness in the midst of such circumstances, and find it to be a testament to God's desire for us to be happy. But, YOU have to decide that for yourselves

http://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=J9CB9FNU

http://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=D7ZLY7NX

 

[noodleroo]

I have WHAT in my yard? :

Quote:
What Blackbird said. I know many wonderful people who live their lives by the word of the God of their understanding. And I know Luciferians who live lives of quiet goodness and generosity. Often it is not the format of what people believe that determines how good they are, or how happy they are in their goodness. It seems that humans are hardwired to believe in something greater than ourselves and we are happiest when we have such a belief. We are not happy without any sense of higher good - this does not mean atheists cannot be happy or good, they just have a different sense of what that higher good is. Isaac Asimov strongly believed that his purpose was to advance mankind's understanding of the universe and pass that on to the next generation. That is purpose and this gives us happiness. I do not believe in god as a separate entity from myself and all of humanity. So I do not believe god wants us to be happy. But, as much as I believe that all of us make up that which many of us refer to as god, then yes I believe that god wants us to be happy.

This is all very well said.

I feel like my purpose on earth is to advance my soul. Happiness is a side effect of the journey. The writers of the bible must have had a heck of a time trying to relate higher vibrational information to humans as we were then. Sort of like you trying to explain how to live life to a cockroach; the frame of reference would be miles apart...

My 89 yr. old aunt asked me last year about what I really, truly thought happens to us when we die. She didn't want to appear to have a question in faith, but had a circumstance that made her wonder how it all works. The love of her life was killed in WWII. She later married a man that she loved and he died some 20 yrs. ago. She was confused about how it could be that we will all be together again in heaven, yet she loved BOTH these men dearly; what could her 'life' possibly be like in heaven?

I don't know where the words came from in me, but this is what I told her: I think that 'God' is a light energy that we originated from and that we return to when our body ceases to function. All that we know during our time on earth that have 'died' also go back to the light. Like dipping a cup of water from the ocean and then pouring it back in. We are all part of the same thing. That's why 'God' is in us and 'we' are inseparable. Energy returns to source. That's why we never run out of the capacity to love; family, friends, animals - all are part of the source. I'm not sure if my aunt really understood the concept, but it was the first time that I could verbalize what I thought about eternity.

So, even though the Bible may not verbalize that 'God' wants us to be happy, I think it goes without saying...​

 

[CityGirlintheCountry]

Wow! I really thought that this thread would be closed by this morning. I was in fact plotting ways to get the Mods to PM it to me so I could read what had been written during the night. Thanks to you all for having this discussion without fighting or fueding. It is indeed a blessing to read all of your thoughts.

 

[Louieandthecrew]

Quote:
Oh yeah, we are good like that

I'm glad it has stayed up!

 

[CityGirlintheCountry]

I have WHAT in my yard? :

And citygirl I believe you and I will be happy when all of our grades are done and in!!

AMEN, sister!

I am half done with the last set. My goal is to get them done by early afternoon so I can go play with family. How about you?

 

[PortageGirl]

While so many people seek answers in the scripture, and believe that the bible is written by god, those who have studied in depth the source of the bible find too many holes in the sources for me to agree that it's a good source of guidance today by itself. It's not a terrible thing, there is good in it, but if it's taken too literally, there's an awful lot of contradictory rules in there. Are you really going to stone people for wearing clothing woven from different textiles? or kill them for planting mixed crops in the same field? how about slavery, that's approved of in the bible too... see what I mean? The bible does need some editing IMO. yeah, I know, blasphemy huh?

The scriptures may have been assembled by people of good will who were trying to offer guidance and structure to the followers of their religion, mostly I see it as being assembled by people of not so good will, as a means of control by the various church hierarchies (i.e. fat white men who wanted wealth and obedience.) from many well intended historical references. I have to say that especially the new testament is an odd assortment of writings that have very little to do with god. Each version is rearranged by the bosses of each individual version of faith, to suite their own purposes. Do this, don't do that, eat this, don't eat that, follow me, pay me money, agree with this and don't agree with that. If you talk to anyone who has truly studied theology there no doubt that the gospels were NOT written by the apostles Mathew Mark Luke or John, they are an assembly of things that people decided were something they might have said or written...

There's a little too much smiting, stoning, raping and pillaging, and other horrific examples of behaviour approved of by the angry side of god in the old testament as well, to support the idea of a loving god in my opinion. If someone actually followed the scripture, they'd probably be schizophrenic with all the conflicting rules etc. Oh yeah? How many people use the 'god told me to' defense when exactly that happens? Maybe not THAT many, but...

All that being said, there are many many many good people of good will who follow their faith in the best way they can. I value them and am happy to acknowledge that they are wonderful people. I don't think any religion is bad, the fellowship and friendship that can be found is worthwhile and helpful and that can bring a lot of happiness. I really really don't mean to preach about it, that was one of the main things about it when this thread was started. I absolutely respect everyone's right to their beliefs. I'm just very briefly saying why I do not believe in the scripture as was originally talked about by the OP.

I believe in a higher power, not the god in the bible though. I was raised religiously in a church, and there's a lot of good in much of it, but this quote which has been attributed to Abraham Lincoln sums up a lot of what I think... When I do good, I feel good; when I do bad, I feel bad, and that is my religion.

Adding to say, 'feeling good' does not mean selfish things that make people feel good like drinking or eating banana splits or whatever. I mean doing good works, treating others as I would like to be treated, giving to charity and honoring my elders and those who also 'do good'. Doing those sorts of things make me happy, so perhaps the god you believe in does care if I'm happy, if my beliefs (or lack thereof) means that means I'm condemned to 'hell' by your god, so be it.