Happiness!

A while ago, I decided I was tired of answering "How are you?" with "good, and you?" If anyone asks me how I am, I answer, "Peaceful." It starts a conversation where I can tell anyone interested that my peace comes from my relationship with Jesus. When I chose to read Bobby Schuller's Happiness According to Jesus, I could tell that it was not going to be a "Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy" kind of book. I was right (I love it when that happens). Bobby has taken the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7 and exposed the teachings of Jesus into understandable and applicable language.

The most important point he makes is you can't just rest in knowing what Jesus wants you to do, you have to do it! In one of the later chapters of the book, Bobby takes on the Golden Rule and comparing it to the Silver Rule. The Golden Rule says to treat others the way you want to be treated. The Silver Rule is don't treat others the way you don't want to be treated. The Golden Rule is what the Good Samaritan did when he came upon the man who had been robbed on the Jericho Road. The Silver Rule is what the Levite and Rabbi did. They didn't beat and rob the man, but neither did they help him.

Bobby says:

Every day is an opportunity to do what Jesus taught. It's never easy but always fulfilling. Jesus has a way of living.
He wants us to be the light of the world.
He wants us to relent from our anger.
He wants us to stop lying.
He wants us to love our enemies.
He wants us to care for those who speak badly about us.
He wants us to care for the needy, those who are hungry, those who are thirsty.
He wants us to care about justice and not do it for our own glory, but do it for others.
He wants us to be praying people, who pray simply, and pray because we know that God is listening.
He wants us to be fasting people.
He wants us to be people who stop worrying, who don't think with concern about tomorrow or regret yesterday, but live today in the easy rhythms of grace.
He wants us not to store up for ourselves treasures on earth where moths and rust destroy, but to store up real heavenly treasure that we can access today, that never goes away.
He wants us to stop judging people, to stop shoving religion down people's throats.
He wants us to know that if we need something, we can ask Him.
Jesus is going to come. He's going to deliver. We know that we serve a good God. There is a way of living and a way of doing, and we're going to do it.

Five Stars.

My Thanks to Worthy Publishing for allowing me to read and review this book.