EVERY normal person wants to be happy. But how many waking hours are filled with true happiness? Can you honestly say that you think your life is a joy?

For most people, the answers to these questions would indicate a disappointing level of happiness. Especially in modern times, it seems that many people do not experience periods of true happiness as often as they once did. The faces of workers, travelers, customers and others are more likely to reflect anxiety, sadness or apathy. unhappy.

In addition, the pace of our generation is faster than ever and everyday life is greater. People think that time flies and try to get things done. When they look back many years later, they are often upset that, amid confusion of things, they have cheated true happiness.

One observer wrote: "Happiness is the rarest, most valuable, and misunderstood human condition." However, it is relatively easy to define. A dictionary says that happiness "characterizes or indicates joy, happiness or joy."

Of course, happiness is easy to define in a book. But having it as an integral part of life now and in the future often seems like an impossible dream.

Is it money or fame?

Many people spend their lives looking for money or fame. They believe that this can be the path to happiness. but so it is

Of course, poverty rarely makes anyone happy. Almost everyone believes that they would be happier if they were rich than poor. Facts show, however, that even if poverty does not bring joy, it does not bring prosperity either. Thus the author of a biblical proverb asked carefully: "Give me neither poverty nor wealth." Proverbs 30: 8.

One of the richest men in the world, a famous billionaire, said that despite his great wealth, he was not happy. In fact, after a long period of abuse of his health, he died, even neglecting his physical appearance and isolating himself from all but a few servants for many years.

Another billionaire had a series of unhappy marriages in his life. When asked what made him happiest in the face of his great wealth, he thought for a moment and replied: "A walk on a beautiful beach, then a dip." The poor can often do this for free!

A successful actress and writer said, "In many cases, success is not worth the high price of entry." It was a great pain to achieve and maintain the so-called "success".

This repeated the suicide of a TV comedian who was famous and happy at the age of 22. The producer of his TV show said that the young actor "invested everything in the pursuit of happiness." But he did not find it. Instead, he became more sad. This sadness revolved around his question: "Where am I? Where is my happiness? When the producer said to the actor:" Your happiness is here; You're a star, replied the actor. No, it's no longer happiness for me. He later committed suicide.

The problems of accumulating wealth show the truth in the biblical statement: "Those who are determined to be rich fall into temptation and trap and into many meaningless and painful desires that throw people into destruction and ruin. The root of all things This pursuit of wealth , says the word of God, leads to the fact that a person is often "stabbed with great pain" (1 Tim. 6: 9, 10).

Rich unanswered

In the past, it was believed that people would be much happier if a country's standard of living increased. But today there are more people with mental health problems in richer countries.

For example, an American owner of O News & World Report said, "The Pursuit of Happiness: A Destination in Rich America." The accompanying article read, in part, "In a time of increasing wealth and leisure, Americans are finding happiness more difficult than ever." . . . For many Americans, the best of times seem like the worst. ""

It is estimated that 10 million people in the United States need treatment for mental depression. And the number of children receiving psychiatric care has increased alarmingly in recent years.

Therefore, the desperate pursuit of "happiness" through material wealth and fame or through excessive recreation, alcoholic beverages, drugs, or immoral practices has not created happiness. On the contrary, it has caused more and more misfortune.

Many of the once famous inventions of this century also devastated many. For example, cars bring a little joy, but also cause serious traffic jams, frustration and pollution. Around the world, cars kill tens of thousands of people and injure millions of people every year, causing incredible pain.

Television, which may have been an important means of education and awareness, is not constructive. A recent study shows that the average American home television is watched for six hours and eighteen minutes each day. The study showed that programs with hatred, brutality, violence and immorality take up a large part of the airtime.

The detrimental effects of all this on people, especially young people, are of great concern. A Washington University child psychologist estimates that the average American child would have seen 18,000 murders on television before graduating from high school! It doesn't really help to create happy spirits in the minds of young people.

Can we hope for true happiness in a world where millions of people die in every generation of war, murder and accident, where crime prevails, racial and national hatred persists and disease, old age and death affect everybody? Is happiness a realistic possibility now or will it be in the future?

Oddly enough, in today's turbulent world, the answer to these questions is yes. A measure of true happiness is already possible now.