Finding the Greater Happiness in Giving

HAPPINESS is a state of well-being and pleasurable satisfaction. The One that enjoys that state above all others is Jehovah, “the happy God.” (1 Tim. 1:11, NW) And why is he so happy? Because he so freely gives. To see his obedient creatures enjoy life and all its blessings truly makes him happy.a

By giving us of his vast and unfathomable storehouse of wisdom, knowledge and understanding, he has made us happy with the knowledge of him and his attributes, the realization that Christ died for our sins, and the hope of Kingdom blessings in a new world of righteousness. Also to be able to associate with other happy persons at Kingdom Halls, at assemblies and international conventions makes us very happy, for the greater the number of happy people that come together, the more happiness there is bound to be.

But should we content ourselves with merely the happiness of receiving, we would show that we were very immature, like an infant or young child whose happiness consists solely in receiving things from its parents. In Paul’s day there were some Christians like that; while they should have been teachers in view of the time, they were again needing someone to teach them.—Heb. 5:12.

To realize the greater happiness we must imitate Jehovah’s pattern, we must follow the examples set by Christ Jesus and his apostles, that of giving. (Jas. 1:17; Acts 20:35; Luke 10:17-21, NW) Not to give to others of what we have received is to miss the very purpose of our receiving it. We can learn from others how to go about giving out this truth on the streets and in the homes of the people and we can arrange our affairs so as to find time for it.

Having received the truth we should want to be like a bubbling spring, overflowing with it so that it refreshes others, not like a sponge that needs to be squeezed. Of course, when we go to some and find that they do not want the truth we do not let that rob us of our happiness; we merely shake the dust off our feet and look for those who do want the truth.

To the extent we give, and give wholly unselfishly, to that extent we shall have the greater happiness; if we sow bountifully we shall reap bountifully. There are no people that are as happy as Jehovah’s people, and the reason they are so happy is that they know that the greater happiness lies in giving.

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