In this interview with Susie Larson on her Live the Promise show, Randy Alcorn unpacks the joyful calling of the Christian life and the source of true happiness, identifying our real circumstances in Christ.
Program Summary
“Until Christ completely cures us in this world, our happiness will be punctuated by times of great sorrow…but that doesn’t mean we can’t be predominantly happy in Christ. Being happy is the norm, rather than the exception. It is not wishful thinking; it’s based on solid facts.” –Happiness by Randy Alcorn
What does it mean to be predominately happy in Christ?
Randy says that the happiness mentioned in Scripture is often buried under the word blessed, which means happy.
“Happy is the one whose sins are forgiven. Happy is the one whose transgressions are not counted against him.” -Psalm 32
What we see around us often hinders our understanding of circumstances, instead of basing our circumstances on the reality God has given us.
“We’re defining circumstances as what we see around us, rather than what is actually true. Suppose we think of circumstances with a capital C. The spiritual realities that are true, even when we’re not seeing them all around us, they’re there and they’re real.”
What are our circumstances in Christ?
We can be reminded of who God says we are in His word.
- We are accepted in the beloved.
- We are completely forgiven of our sins if we confess our sins to God.
- We are loved by Christ.
- We are loved by our Heavenly Father.
- We have been given a calling, spiritual gifts and His promises.
- Nothing will separate us from the love of Christ.
- We are more than conquerors.
“So that’s my circumstance. If circumstance means, ‘What’s going on in our reality,’ then we need to base our circumstances on the reality of God’s word.…it’s not simply that I had a flat tire today, or I got fired, or I got sick, or my friend was diagnosed with cancer.”
There is a greater reality, a greater joy, and it’s available to us all.
What should we base our happiness on?
“Let’s base it on our true, real condition in Christ and the blood-bought promises of redemption.”
Susie reminds us of a great comparison:
“In the difference between our state and our standing: Our state is always changing; bad month, bad year, hard day. Our standing never changes.”
