DFO139319/5/75

1. IN MANY RELIGIONS, THE SADDER YOU ARE THE MORE RELIGIOUS YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO BE!—The more you suffer & the sadder you are, that's a sign of being very religious. But it's the opposite with us!—We consider you're not very religious or spiritual unless you're victorious & joyful, smiling & really happy‚ right?

2. God & His Word haven't made religion that way‚ the prophets haven't made it that way‚ not even Moses made it that way with his strict laws. It was those subsequent religious leaders who changed things & began to interpret things to suit themselves, to exalt themselves & to get a tighter control on the people.—Who as Jesus said, "bind heavy burdens & grievous to be borne, & lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers!" (Mt.23:4)

3. And of course, I don't see how any people are ever going to be happy without the Lord—truly happy. Even if you supply all their physical needs, they have to have something to satisfy their spiritual needs & their hunger for happiness. Thank God that's what we have, as well as satisfaction for all our physical needs, all of which it takes to make you happy.

4. I'M NO ASCETIC, I COULDN'T BE SATISFIED WITH SITTING ON A BED OF NAILS PRAYING ALL DAY, torturing myself, denying myself everything & fasting all the time. I enjoy everything God has given—wine, women‚ song, food, everything—& I'm very happy!—And I especially enjoy my work, believe it or not!

5. We even enjoy our work! It's work & it's hard work & it keeps us busy, but we enjoy it!—And I hope you enjoy your work! With the love of the Lord & having the right kind of work, work you know is doing some good & helping people & making others happy, it helps you to be happy & to enjoy it.

6. Our religion makes us happy, our work makes us happy‚ our play makes us happy & we have very little that makes us unhappy, except the fact that some other people are not happy. And actually sometimes even our enemies make me happy because of the way they publicise us, & when those that hate us get mad, that almost makes me happy & amuses me, because I know I'm hitting where it hurts. So even those things ought to make you happy!

7. Sometimes concern about the way my own people & children behave, or the mistakes we make, makes me a little unhappy. Sometimes wondering if I made the right decision or choice or did the right thing concerns me, so that for a little while I'm not as happy as I should be.—But I always come out of the woods afterwards to find out that the Lord did it & everything's alright & I shouldn't have worried after all!

8. SO THANK GOD FOR A HAPPY RELIGION & A HAPPY LIFE!—And we should urge others to be happy & to enjoy the same happiness that we have too, amen? If they haven't got it & they see us happy‚ they're sure gonna wonder why they're not happy!—And I think that is the greatest challenge we have in our sample, when they see how happy we are.

9. So, hallelujah for happiness! TTL for being able to enjoy the physical pleasures He gives us as well as the spiritual pleasures. We've got everything! The only thing I can think of that I want is for other people to be happy‚ as happy as I am. That's the only great real longing or need or want that I have, if we could just somehow make them understand & make them happy. Otherwise we lack nothing, physically, materially or spiritually—we've got everything! TYJ!

10. SO IF YOU'RE NOT HAPPY, I ALWAYS FIGURE THERE MUST BE SOMETHING WRONG WITH YOU OR YOUR RELIGION OR YOUR FAITH OR SOMETHING. Of course, sometimes we can be sick & that may not make us feel very happy for awhile‚ but that doesn't destroy our total happiness. We can still be very happy in the spirit & mentally & in fellowship with the Family & everything else. It may leave a little something to be desired, health & strength, but it doesn't make us all that unhappy, amen?

11. So thank God for happiness!—And enjoyment of life, & our religion & the Lord! (Sings:)

"Happy now, happy now,

Since I found the favour of my loving Saviour.

All the past is gone at last,

And I don't care where or how, praise God!—

Happy now, happy now,

I have lasting joy!

Oh the Devil's deserted,

And I am converted,

And I'm happy, happy, happy, now!"

—TYJ!—Are YOU happy?

Copyright (c) 1998 by The Family