Are You Happy?
By Rev. Ong Jiew Yeo
Years ago, the news reported on a married medical doctor who took his own life alongside a young, beautiful female hairstylist. They left behind a note bearing just four words: "We met too late". This seemed to suggest that their "happiness" lay solely in being together. Because they met too late, their "happiness" vanished, and the two could only end their lives. How tragic!
The Problems and Plights of Humanity
More than nine hundred years before Christ, King Solomon drew from his personal experience and wrote in Ecclesiastes about humanity’s problems and predicaments: 1. Possessing knowledge and wisdom merely increases toil and sorrow, leaving it uncertain whether life's true dilemmas can ever be resolved (Ecclesiastes 1:12–18). 2. Possessing physical gratification, including fine food and wine, luxurious dwellings, entertainment, and riches, turns to vanity in an instant and cannot endure (Ecclesiastes 2:1–11). 3. Possessing steady work brings labour and sorrow, filling the heart with unease and leaving one unable to truly enjoy the fruit of one's labour (Ecclesiastes 2:18–23). All of these pursuits leave the human soul feeling profoundly empty, devoid of any sense of true happiness.
The prophet Jeremiah identified the real reason mankind fails to attain true blessings: "...your sins have deprived you of good" (Jeremiah 5:25). The word "sins" here encompasses not only outward evil and rebellious acts, but also inward deceitful and base thoughts and motives. The root problem of humanity is that we fail to do what we ought to do, while often doing what we ought not to do, thus falling short of God's righteous standards and demands. The plight of humanity is this: "For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do - this I keep on doing" (Romans 7:19).
Jesus Is the Source of Happiness
Amid vanity, King Solomon perceived the reality of the Creator, concluding that man must know Him and obey His commandments, the earlier, the better! "Remember your Creator in the days of your youth..." (Ecclesiastes 12:1). Jesus once promised: "I have come that they may have life and have it to the full" (John 10:10). Jesus is the Creator of heaven and earth and all things within them. He is God Himself (John 1:1–3). He is God become man, revealing God by living among humanity (John 1:4, 18). He suffered, died, was buried, and rose again for you and me (1 Corinthians 15:3–4), "to bring you to God" (1 Peter 3:18).
Jesus is the source of all good things, every good gift, and every perfect bounty (Psalm 16:2; James 1:17). Jesus is the Bread of Life; whoever comes to Him will surely find fulfillment, peace, and eternal joy for their soul (John 6:35).
Your Response
The modern gospel singer George Beverly Shea (1909 - 2013) was born into a Christian family, yet he did not truly know Jesus early on. Gifted with a naturally resonant and distinctive singing voice, he performed frequently on stage, gaining widespread fame and substantial income. Yet, he had no true peace or joy in his heart, often unable to shake an inexplicable gloom within his soul. His mother understood her son's spiritual condition best and prayed for him constantly.
On one occasion, his mother placed a poem entitled "I'd Rather Have Jesus" on his piano stand, while she earnestly interceded for him in the adjacent bedroom. When Shea sat down to practice, he saw the words and was deeply moved and immediately composed a melody for the poem. As he played and sang, he searched his heart: "What am I busy with all day long? What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?" From that moment on, his life was completely transformed. He dedicated himself to serving exclusively in Christian ministries as a gospel soloist, becoming a blessing to countless people. Though his income was less, his soul was filled with immeasurable fulfilment and joy!
Throughout the generations, millions like George Beverly Shea have stepped out of emptiness and confusion to experience a truly joyful and purposeful life.