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Jonah 4:6-8 – Would That Make You Happy?
Last winter, someone had given a loved one some present money. How should he spend it? Should he spend it on himself? But bills, bills, and the other unending bills, seemed to be the preferred place to spend that gift. After all, there are always bills to pay. Then the recipient came across the opportunity to buy something with that money, but hesitated – even though he wanted and “needed” it….
OK, I confess. It was me. I wanted and “needed” a different seat for my motorcycle. My old one had holes!
Now back to my anonymity.
But…and aren’t there always “buts?”
But, there are always bills to be paid.
But, but, buying the motorcycle seat was not being frivolous. The seat was used, in good shape, and being offered at a great price.
But, but, but, there are bills to be paid.
But, but, but, but, he could still pay his bills and buy this motorcycle seat.
His wife asked, “Would it make you happy to buy it?” The husband said, “Yes.” She encouraged him to buy it. I did…uh, I mean… he did.
Later, her question and his answer crept back into his mind. What should he have said to her question? She was just being a loving wife (I also need some new handle bar grips, OK honey?), but that question and his answer begged further investigation – further spiritual investigation.
Someone differentiated between joy and happiness by saying that joy comes from the inside; and that joy can be experienced even when we are not happy with life on the outside, such as our physical or fiscal circumstances.
James 1:2 NASB Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials,
Joy focuses on the imperishable, happiness dwells on what is perishable.
3 John 1:4 NASB I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth.
Joy is eternal; happiness comes and goes.
Jude 1:24 NASB Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy,
I like those distinctions. It appears we focus on external happiness far more than God does. God centers on internal – and eternal – joy.
Let’s get back to our example. The person who ended up buying what he wanted decided that “No, buying that will not make me happy. I am already happy. I do not need this to make me happy. But I still like what I bought. I am glad I bought it. But buying and having it…no, I don’t need IT to make me happy.”
Human “happiness” can be so misplaced. Notice what made Jonah “happy” and his drastic overreaction to losing it:
Jonah 4:6-8 NASB So the LORD God appointed a plant and it grew up over Jonah to be a shade over his head to deliver him from his discomfort. And Jonah was extremely happy about the plant. (7) But God appointed a worm when dawn came the next day and it attacked the plant and it withered. (8) When the sun came up God appointed a scorching east wind, and the sun beat down on Jonah’s head so that he became faint and begged with all his soul to die, saying, “Death is better to me than life.”
When people want to do what the Bible does not permit, they will sometimes soothe their conscience by asking, “But doesn’t God want me to be happy?” Shockingly the answer is, “No.” At least not according to our definition of happiness. However, God does want us to be blessed and filled with joy. And in the end, that will make us happy. So…would being blessed by God and filled with His joy make you happy?
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