Happiness
by Harold Vaughan
A king was so unhappy that he dispatched one of his men to find a happy man. "When you find the happy man," the king ordered, "purchase his shirt and bring it back to me that I might wear it and also be happy." For years, the king's man traveled and searched, but he couldn't find a happy man. Finally, when he was walking in the poorer section of one of the most impoverished counties, he heard a man singing at the top of his lungs. Following the sound, he found a man plowing a field.
"Are you happy?" the king's man asked.
"I have never known a day of unhappiness in my life," the plowman replied.
The king's representative explained the purpose of his mission and asked the plowman for his shirt. The plowman laughed uproariously. "Why, man, I don't have a shirt!"
Happiness isn't obtained by acquiring someone's shirts, toys, money, or anything else he may possess. Happiness is a byproduct of gratitude; grateful people are cheerful people. Instead of complaining about what you lack, thank God for what you have.
I had the blues because I had no shoes,
Until upon the street I met a man who had no feet.
No man ever found joy by acquiring material gain. Jesus said, "A man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth" (Luke 12:15b).
Whenever you feel what Ron Hamilton calls the "poochie lip disease" coming on, look at all the benefits God has given to you. Don't develop what one lady called a case of "ingrown eyeballs." At all costs, don't fall into a trap of self-pity. Genuine concern for others comes naturally as you take interest in them.
Action Point: Perhaps an elderly neighbor could use a hand or a friendly visit. Go out of your way to encourage someone.
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