What kind of happiness do you seek each day, the temporal kind or the eternal type? There’s a big difference between the two.
The eternal type blesses you forever, lifting your life experience to a whole new level of joy that does not fade.
For instance, when I first started in the practice, and I was seeking peace of mind about how to earn a decent living in the practice, God sent me the thought of, “Evan, you don’t have to earn a living. I give it to you freely.”
Oh wow!, I thought. I was trying too hard humanly to “earn a living,” where in fact it’s a gift from God that I needed to simply accept. I was so happy with this revelation. It changed my whole approach to earning a living, and I was permanently blessed even to this day.
Or the time when I looked in the mirror and glimpsed that I was not a physical body but an image in the Mind of God. That realization made me so happy. I remember that enlightened moment over 25 years later. And I dropped 30 pounds of extra weight in a short period of time afterward. I’m still happy over it today!
Enduring happiness has its roots in Spirit, never in anything material. Matter is temporal by definition, so any type of happiness associated with it is going to be temporal.
So, if you want the real thing, the bona fide, “Yes, this is real happiness!,” seek it in Spirit. Strive for increased spiritual understanding, rather than physical stimulation. You’ll be filled with a more genuine joy in the long run.
~Mary Baker Eddy
Yay!
Love this…
A friend used to compare temporal attractions to opening a bottle of soda. It’s all very fizzy and exciting at first but eventually goes flat and the bubbles gone….
Not unlike what you are saying.
🙂
Thanks
You will never know how much this meant to me today and how grateful I am for all your blogs and all you give. You lift me up when I think I can’t get back up. And the weight loss is something we have in common! Wonderful to see how God works. Vicki
That soda fizz analogy from the first anonymous is a great one!
Evan, your thoughts bring to mind two things:
~ love and lust are opposites
~ true happiness is identifiable by its ripple effect. Because of its holy nature, it can’t be hoarded or withheld or halted.
A confirming quote: “Happiness is spiritual, born of Truth and Love; It is unselfish; therefore it cannot exist alone, but requires all mankind to share it.” ~ Science and Health, page 57
Thanks for sharing informative post…
Spiritual Healing Perth
This is great, thanks to you and the other commenters for sharing. I like the soda analogy, and the reminder about what makes for lasting happiness. Very timely, and much appreciated!
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I am going to recommend this website!