Happiness is a "full" concept, meaning it is a term that implies something complete, with no gaps, if taken literally. If not, all we are left with is a semblance of happiness, a shadow of it or a brief flash.

A definition can help you understand what I'm saying: Happiness is to enjoy completely and constantly all good joined to the certainty that such condition will not change. If we accept this definition, it becomes easy to see that happiness, in its full meaning, cannot be found here.

In fact, people often go through times when they happily enjoy all kinds of good. Health, family peace, professional fulfillment, personal achievements, deliverance of obstacles, good friends, leisure, inner serenity... But even on those rare phases of life, there is always a small shadow of fear or uncertainty disturbing our heart, the fear that everything is over, that the quiet music in the air is just a prelude to a treacherous time of pain – the strategic silence preceding the strike of a new blow. So this fear is presented as a small spot in the beautiful painting and happiness in its real, full and overflowing meaning is not experienced after all.

Just as I said, it seems obvious that happiness with a capital F does not exist in this world. It did not build its home here. From time to time it comes to these lands, but only passing through. And even when visiting, it does not show itself completely. It comes dressed in a gray robe that covers its head and a dark veil over its face. We can never see the precise contours of its face.

So all the people who spend their whole lives looking for the house of Happiness here are disappointed in the end, figuring out they wasted their time. Some unhappy ones then say it does not exist, that it is just a mental projection, a naive dream that brings us to the fatigue of a futile search.

However, such conclusion does not seem correct. That's because in the universe God created it is easy to see that every need has a supplying factor. There is a need we call thirst. There is water to supply it. There is hunger. There is food to supply it. We feel cold, tired, sleepy and lonely... But here we can find all that completely fulfills these discomforts. So it is reasonable to believe that the happiness we deeply need does exist in the universe. It just was not put on this planet. The fact we don’t find it does not mean it's a fable. It just means we are looking at the wrong direction.

Where does Happiness live then? She lives in the country of the Lord, the God who created it and placed it there. One can ever know it if he does not enter this country. The proof that it lives there is in Revelation 21.4: "and he shall wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain, any more: the first things are passed away." Here, there is precisely the full and constant enjoyment of all good along with the certainty that such condition will not change - Happiness!

Therefore, people should give up their quest for real happiness in this world and seek, instead, the path to God's country. Scriptures teach us this path goes through two seasons: truth and forgiveness. Only those who embrace the perfect truth and get perfect forgiveness come to the realm of perfect happiness. Now, the perfect truth is in Christ, in his person and in his message (John 14.6). Also only he offers perfect forgiveness by his blood shed in place of sinners (Col. 1:14).

Therefore, let’s not delude ourselves believing we can get to full enjoyment of highest good in this world. If we believe this, we will be depressed and frustrated. What should appease our hearts as believers is the joy of knowing that in the road to real happiness we have arrived at the truth season, already passing the season of forgiveness. The only thing left is landing in the glorious terminal: the country where Happiness lives and walks without mantle and without veil.

Pr. Marcos Granconato
Soli Deo gloria