by Kenneth Copeland
Many people are looking for the keys to real happiness. When they have a need or a want, they look outside themselves to this world’s system to get that need met. They live from the outside in. They have to go to the boss for a raise, or hope to find a relationship that fulfills them. But as a believer, you were created to live differently. You were created to live from the inside out. If you want the keys to finding real happiness, you must look to Proverbs 4:23, which says to “keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” The quality of your life—and true happiness—flows out of your spirit. Let’s look at two keys for finding real happiness.
Find Happiness by Recognizing You are an Heir
Hebrews 1:2 says God has appointed Jesus “heir of all things” and He owns all the resources in heaven and earth. Romans 8:17 says you are one of His “joint-heirs,” which means all those resources belong to you, too. Because the kingdom of God is within you (Luke 17:21), you don’t have to go running around looking here and there to find those resources, either. Everything you need is in you right now.
That doesn’t mean you don’t go to God to ask Him for things. But it does mean that when you go to Him for something, you should understand that all your needs and wants have already been taken care of. It’s not a matter of whether or not you’re going to be able to get them. They already belong to you. They’re already on the inside of you. So all you have to do is obey Hebrews 4:16: “Come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”
Find Happiness by Setting Your Mind on Things Above
If you’re having trouble accessing heaven’s resources, you’re probably trying to live in two kingdoms at once. Maybe you’ve gotten stuck in the world’s way of thinking and you’re trying to live from the outside in. That happens to a lot of believers. Although they’re born again, they’re still operating like they’re in Babylon, trying to meet their own needs.
That doesn’t work. Instead, you must live according to the Bible’s principles. “Seek the kingdom of God” and His way of doing things first (Matthew 6:33) and “set your mind what is above” (Colossians 3:2). In other words, get your mind off this world’s system and get it on God’s kingdom. Start functioning like a citizen of heaven and drawing by faith on the limitless resources that belong to you in Christ Jesus. Start living from the inside out.
Your loved ones who are already in heaven, aren’t worrying about this world’s system. They live with every need fully supplied all the time. They are experiencing true happiness, and even though you’re still on earth, that’s how you’re supposed to be living too. The Body of Christ hasn’t fully done this yet, but we’re headed that way. We’re learning to live more and more from the inside out as citizens of heaven and experience true, God-given happiness!