At some stage of our spiritual development, we've got to realize that the laws of life are often paradoxical. With such and understanding it is much easier to handle all seeming failures, which are mainly caused by our addiction to linear thinking.

One of the greatest paradoxes of life is that people don't become happy by pursuing happiness.

Of course, some people do not pursue happiness at all – they lost their illusions long time ago, and their main goal is to get by, or, perhaps, to gain a small advantage over others. They are doing what is natural for a natural person, so there is no reason to condemn them. But how about those idealists who believe that life is governed by spiritual principles, the ones that people can know and apply for their benefit? Is it worthwhile for them to strive and to pray, asking God to make
them happy?

My personal experience, and experience of some people I know proves that the answer to this question is NO. Every
time someone set his (her) mind to pursue happiness, he (she) is doomed for a disappointment.

Have you ever heard phrases like that: "Let someone come to my life and make me happy", or "I will be truly happy when
I'll get this thing" ? The basic problem of the most seekers of happiness is that they look for it outside of themselves, but happiness just doesn't belong to the world of things, or even human relationships. Truly, when we get what we want, or meet "the right" person, we experience fulfillment – but only for a short time. Unhappiness is a state of mind, and unless we deal with it at its root, it will eventually poison our prosperity and even our "ideal" relationships.

There is also another category of people, who believe that happiness comes from an inside, from our intimate
relationships with God, and they do their best to cultivate those relationships through prayer, meditation and religious observances. They are closer to the truth, but still don't comprehend it, and still don't happy. Why? Because when people say "I need nothing but God to make me happy", they continue to remain self-centered and blind to what He wants to do in their life.

I guess, most of us have been acquainted with unhappy religious zealots, and wondered why God's promise of an
abundant life does not work for them.

So, what is the solution?

I am deeply convinced that we become happy not because we seek to be happy, but when we strive to be fruitful, when
we do our best to find out and to fulfill our life's mission. Happiness is a by-product of fruitfulness.

Jesus knew that He came from God, and was going back to God. He was fully aware of the fact that God sent Him with a specific mission. Do we know that all these truths apply to us as well?

"I choose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit" (John 15:16).

This call is not something forced upon us from an outside by an arbitrary God. Our call consists of all that is the most natural and most essential for us. We cannot separate ourselves from our appointment without violating of ourselves. The cost of disobedience to our life's mission is a life of an inner division and turmoil.

"I am the wine, and you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in Him, bears much fruit. If anyone does not abide in me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered, and they gather them and throw them into the fire" (John 15:5-6).

Jesus spoke of an inner fire of guilt, stress, dissatisfaction and tension that burns within minds of those who don't come to the consciousness of their unity with God, and, therefore, remain unfruitful. However, to those who are obedient to their call, He gave a wonderful promise:

"If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done to you" (John 15:7).

All things are added to those who seek the Kingdom of God above all else.
All desires will be granted to those who put God's desires first in their life.
But how can we be sure of that? There is only one way, and it is our personal experience.

It does not matter whether you agree or disagree with the central thought of this article. What really important is whether you are willing to try and prove it for yourself. All the intellectual reasoning in the world cannot substitute one practical application of an idea.


About the Author
Andrei Yashurin is a non-denominational minister, author, translator and an Internet publisher from Russia. His ministry in 2 languages reaches more than 3,000 people every month. He can be contacted at: yashurin.geo@yahoo.com
http://www.your-time-now.com