Skeak Peek: the Secret Of Happiness
Happy Birthday to You
Imagine that your father bought three presents for your birthday. Then he wrapped them up and put a bow on each box, and set them in front of you. He also told you what each gift box contained. There was a coffee pot, a toaster and an electric frying pan. Of course it would be up to you to accept any one of the gifts individually, or all three of the gifts together.
Let's say you just wanted to receive the coffee pot gift. Your father would smile as you opened the box and took out your new coffee maker. Whenever he would visit with you after your birthday, you'd always remember to brew a fresh cup of coffee for him. You'd do the same for any of your friends who'd come over to your home.
The other two gifts would simply sit on your table, unopened, until you were willing to receive them. One day, a couple of years later, when you awoke in the morning, you were not only wanting a cup of hot coffee, but you felt like having some delicious toast and jam. That's the day you'd be ready to open the second gift that your dad had given you for your birthday.
With great anticipation, you'd open the toaster, read over the instructions, plug it in and make your toast. "This toast is delicious," you'd exclaim. "Why on earth hadn't I opened this second gift before today?"
The third gift would still be sitting on the table where your father had left it years before, still wrapped.
Get the picture? Our Father and Creator, who loves to give good gifts, has generously offered each of us the same three presents: peace, power and prosperity. They will sit unopened in front of each of us until we choose to receive and open them.
About two billion people on earth today have received God's free gift of peace. Having accepted his gift of life that he has offered through his Son, Jesus, we enjoy peace with God, and potentially with ourselves and our world around us. I wonder why so few of us have received his gifts of power and prosperity? I wonder why so few of us have received his gifts of power and prosperity?
We’ve considered that God loves to give good gifts. It makes him happy when we receive, open and enjoy his gifts. And of course, each gift also carries the potential for fulfillment and happiness – but first, there’s a couple more things to consider about our Father’s presents. You’ll read in the following two chapters about the enemy of our souls, who doesn’t want us to open God’s gifts; and then we’ll get the to the secret of happiness. Surprisingly, we’ll see that happiness is not inherent in simply receiving our Father’s gifts – rather it is in how we use them.
