Happiness

“God established His relationship with you to make you happy, and nothing you do that does not share His purpose can be real.  The purpose God ascribed to anything is its only function.  Because of His reason for creating His relationship with you, the function of relationships became forever ‘to make happy.’  And nothing else.”  (A Course in Miracles, FIP ed., T-17.IV.1)

Happiness is a good thing.  We sometimes mistake pleasure in the things of this world for genuine happiness, but perhaps as we proceed through A Course in Miracles, we will catch some glimpse of the difference.  Happiness in this world is a reflection of the happiness that we bask in when we attune ourselves to God.  He is ever ready to advance His cause with us, and it is only our own fear that keeps Him from us.  Our Guide, His Communication Link to us, the Holy Spirit, will let us know how to walk the best pathway.  We have only to listen attentively.  The Holy Spirit will get through to us, and in the communication will come a happiness unlike anything that this world has offered us heretofore.

God created us to be happy in Him.  Until we return to Him, that goal is thwarted.  And we would not have it thwarted, for we want to be happy.  We need to realize, moreover, that happiness is not an inferior goal, inferior to our function of forgiveness and salvation.  For forgiveness, salvation, and happiness are One in God’s eyes, and, as such, they ought to be One in our own eyes as well.

It is perhaps foreign to us to place happiness first.  We think that there are more altruistic emotions.  But can we really help another out of our own neediness?  And don’t we come into our own, really, only when we are happy?  Up to now, we have had fleeting instances of happiness—but happiness is meant to be a constant state, and when it has become such, we will know why.

We can make our contribution to the world best when we are contented.  And contentment is a form of happiness.  We don’t need to sign in agony at the pain that we suffer; indeed, we don’t have to turn pain into suffering.  If we keep a steady eye on the guidance of the Holy Spirit, He will teach us how to emerge from the pain.

And then our way Home, our way Home quickly, is assured.