January 12, 2003: Goodness As The Route To Happiness
One of my favorite movie lines comes from the A&E production of Pride and Prejudice, a series that I think actually does justice to one of the best books ever written. There is a scene where Jane, who is as sweet and kind and saintly as a person can be, exults over a marriage proposal from the man of her dreams. As she shares her joy with her sister Elizabeth, she says she hopes that someday Elizabeth can be as happy as she. Elizabeth smiles and says, "Till I have your goodness, I can never have your happiness."
There is great wisdom in that confession. Goodness expands our capacity for joy, and that is why the greatest delights can only be experienced by good people. She who has cultivated the virtues of generosity, graciousness, patience and love will spring a bit higher and make merry a bit longer on those days when God blesses her with a reason to rejoice. And she will be able to spot those occasions more easily than the dull sinner who can never find anything to be happy about.
Solomon said, "The prospect of the righteous is joy" (Proverbs 10:28). That joy, of course, may be some time in coming. Jesus had to wade through great sorrow to get to it. But after the pain of the cross he was finally able to delight in “the joy set before him" (Hebrews 12:2).
My mother was fond of saying that joy is a by-product of obedience, and I think that is exactly right. Pursue happiness by itself and you will find it elusive. Pursue goodness instead, and you will find happiness sneaking up behind you and catching you unaware.
It is Not just obedience that brings happiness. Happiness is an occurrence, it Happens.
ReplyDeleteI do not think it is a matter of lingering longer when you cultivate goodness but rather It lingers more fully when what causes the happiness derives from the good that many can give an "Amen" to. In your example, the proposal brought joy to Mr. Bingley (who felt more inclined to be happy when Mr. Darcy gave his Amen and Mr. Darcy was happy with it), There was also Jane, and her whole family that were happy. it was a complete joy. There was no obedience in that example. The happiness that is good or righteous from many perspective or from many people is more satisfying, lingering and true. A happiness that is less happy is one that can not be shared by all. Example would be when a promotion is given to a hard worker as oppose to a person that stepped on others to get his promotion.Proverbs 29:2 Many rejoice at goodness, few rejoice at wickedness, and the happiness is shallow or less lingering.That is why i do not think happiness lingers more because of obedience as much as when more can smile and say AMEN. :)