Living in Category One

Our emotional state usually settles into one of three broad categories:

Category 1: HAPPY—you are blessedly content or excitedly optimistic about the future.

Category 2: SAD—you are decidedly worried or certainly dissatisfied about the future.

Category 3: AMBIVALENT—you are happy some days, while other days you are sad. You vacillate between happy and sad, contented and discontented, hopeful and distressed.

Of the three aforementioned categories, which best describes you? Is your emotional bent primarily happy, sad or ambivalent? Perhaps the more telling answer would come from members of your family. So, let me ask the question this way: if a member of your family selected a category that best describes your emotional capacity, which category would they select?

I believe the Bible teaches that believers should be Category 1 kind of people. The Bible teaches we should be excitedly optimistic or blessedly content about our future. That is why the Bible states with abounding evidence how “blessed” (happy, content, satisfied) we are as born again followers of Christ (see Psalm 1:1; Proverbs 3:13; Isaiah 56:2; Jeremiah 17:7; Matthew 5:3-12, etc.).

A key Old Testament passage that applies to Category 1 is found in Psalm 34:8, where David writes,

Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him.

The invitation offered by David is not one of observation. He does not instruct us to “come and see” or “watch and see” or “listen and see”. Instead, David invites us to “taste and see”. Tasting and seeing is not a matter of observing; it is a matter of experiencing. David wants his audience to experience the goodness of God; and by experiencing the goodness of God we are blessed.

And how good is God? God’s goodness is so extravagant that He covers every illogical mistake or bad choice or stupid decision or sinful act we commit with His grace, love, mercy and forgiveness. As sinners we can do some stupid and sinful things. But as God, He can do even more through His goodness extended to us. That is why I believe happy people are happy because they fundamentally understand and appreciate God’s grace and goodness.

To support his teaching about happiness, David supplies three inner resolves we should develop toward becoming emotionally happy, content, satisfied and optimistic individual.

First, David teaches that we must develop the inner to resolve to WORSHIP God in order to maintain a “blessed” perspective.

David writes,

I will extol the LORD at all times;
his praise will always be on my lips.
My soul will boast in the LORD;
let the afflicted hear and rejoice.
Glorify the LORD with me;
let us exalt his name together.
Psalm 34:1-3

Notice the redundancy of David’s worship—“at all times”, “always”. Discern also the numerous expressions of worship—“extol”, “praise”, “boast’, “rejoice”, “glorify” and “exalt”. Observe how David moves from the personal expression of worship, “I will extol”, to the collective expression of worship, “let us exalt.” To be specific, worshiping people are happy people.

Next, David teaches that we must develop the inner resolve to TRUST God in order to have a “blessed” outlook.

David records,

I sought the LORD, and he answered me;
he delivered me from all my fears.
Those who look to him are radiant;
their faces are never covered with shame.
This poor man called, and the LORD heard him;
he saved him out of all his troubles.
The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him,
and he delivers them.
Psalm 34:4-7

How many fears and troubles does David say the Lord will deliver us from? He says, “All my fears” and “all his troubles”. Notice how the Lord responds when His children seek Him—“answered”, “delivered”, “heard”, “saved”, “encamps”, and “delivers”. People who trust in the Lord and not in themselves or circumstances are happy people.

Finally, in Psalm 34, David instructs that we must develop the inner resolve to BOAST in God in order to maintain a “blessed” disposition.
David says,

Taste and see that the LORD is good;
blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him.
Fear the LORD, you his saints,
for those who fear him lack nothing.
The lions may grow weak and hungry,
but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.
Psalm 34:8-10

Those who fear the Lord “lack nothing” and those who seek the Lord “lack no good thing.” The Lord loves taking care of His children. His children should lavish the opportunity to testify to His great care.

In conclusion, I must ask: what kind person are you? What is your emotional condition? Are you a Category 1 kind of person? Are you a Category 2 person? Or, does Category 3 best describe you? The Bible is clear: God wants every one of His children to be happy.

I implore you to start striving toward becoming a happy person in Christ. Start today. Choose today to worship, trust and boast in the Lord. The sooner you start developing those inner resolves today, the sooner you will become a happier person tomorrow.