Do you suppose what Dr. Denis E.Waitley was actually intending to describe was actually Joy not happiness? I’ve been studying Joy as the scriptures call it. I’m finding a few things. The main points from a study I followed on “Joy” below. My bullet points and shorthand notes I apologize if there are grammatical errors. Just some things to ponder.
Joy is not the same as happiness
Joy will follow thankfulness to God.
Jesus has the final say not people, situations etc.
A grateful heart is a free heart
And ungrateful heart is bound
Make a list of Gratefulness do meditation and pray being thankful to God for these.
Being Thankful in everything not necessarily for everything. Then feeling comes
To be free you need to look back at life and be thankful to God in all your circumstances and past events. Thanksgiving comes before the miracle and it can sometimes be the miracle itself
Grateful because we have been rescued.
Remembering the goodness of God in the midst of the battle, in the midst of suffering loss and sorrow.
Work on conversational intimacy with God will help
Remember the Good life now is not the goal and Not the meaning of life.
There is great reward for suffering
Theology of suffering-Transforming process to maturity in Christ
Your kingdom come your will be done- Kingdom focused life.
God is committed to growing us in maturity.
How does God use suffering?
Sparing people from suffering is to deny them of how God matures and grows us in Christ.
God is glorified when people are healed and even at times when they are not healed.
The Goal of life is not relief from all affliction. The goal of life is your transformation so you love the way God loves, you think the way God thinks. You value things the way God values things. You and God become one in our very being. To be matured in Christ. Sanctification. Growing us up in him. Suffering hones us.
How does Jesus view death?
Center point of our faith is overcoming death. Life eternal, stepping into the Kingdom. Dying is to gain. A believer doesn’t die. Your eternal life is now and continues even As you pass on. Physical death is not trauma, fear ,darkness, death for the Christian ,it is victory ,triumph . Full life is life in the kingdom. Death is not defeat for the believer. No agreements, of course this is NOT a license to end life prematurely.