Finding Happiness

by

Pastor B.J. Knefley

I haven’t met a person who isn’t interesting in happiness. It’s a universal desire. But where do we find it and why does it seem elusive?

I came across a story the other day which I’d like to share. I don’t know where it came from or who wrote it, but its message is powerful.

A professor gave a balloon to every student, who had to inflate it, write their name on it and throw it in the hallway. The professor then mixed all of the balloons. The students were then given 5 minutes to find their own balloon. Despite a hectic search, no one found their balloon.

At that point, the professor told the students to take the first balloon that they found and hand it to the person whose name was written on it. Within 5 minutes, everyone had their own balloon.

The professor said to the students; “These balloons are like happiness. We will never din it if everyone is looking for their own but if we care about other people’s happiness, we’ll find ours too.

Sadly, we live in a “me” society. Stepping on others to get what we want is common. Even the uptick in crime seems to find its roots in the unhappiness of people. Feeling insignificant, devalued, and disenfranchised people resort to fulfilling their inner needs by whatever means at their disposal, often at the expense of others. Interestingly when we put others first, we often find that our needs and wants are fulfilled. So why don’t we practice that?

Giving something away, in this case ourselves, seems counterproductive to what we’re trying to achieve. In Matthew 16:25 Jesus said, “If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.” What would change if we all started to practice this? Think about it.