Practicing happiness is not always about staying put! Jesus comes to be with us wherever we are, but Jesus does not usually let us stay where he finds us. Jesus comes to transform the world with love, and Jesus calls us to be transformed, too.
Therefore, a life lived in happiness necessarily includes experiences of change and transformation. Sometimes we find ourselves in jobs, relationships, or situations that inhibit our fullness of life. In these times, something needs to change in order for us to find wholeness again.
Throughout the gospels, we hear about all kinds of people whose lives are transformed by the living power of God. Lepers are healed; the blind are given sight; the imprisoned are set free; the unwanted are named and chosen. Jesus’ love transforms us, too, and empowers us to name and change whatever inhibits our happiness.
This message is an excerpt from “Settling toward happiness” by Sarah Rohde in the April 2012 issue of Café magazine.
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