一名少女在立法機關前面發言時，說：「我有權利得到快樂！」這可說是為每一個人發聲，這也是人類的呼求。甚至還有一位勵志大師說﹕「上帝要你快樂！」

真的嗎？追求快樂並沒有錯。但這種令人嚮往的心態會隨著我們環境的變化而起伏不定，而且在一個人的願望實現時，也可能會摧毀另一個人的快樂。

然而，耶穌指引我們嚮往更美好的事物。祂知道自己即將被釘在羅馬人的十字架上，承擔起全世界沉重的罪惡。但那時祂關心的卻是他的門徒，祂對他們說﹕「你們將要痛哭、哀號，世人倒要喜樂。」但祂也說﹕「你們的憂愁要變為喜樂」（約翰福音16章20節）。接著，祂應許說：「這喜樂也沒有人能奪去。」（22節）

這種喜樂遠遠超越願望實現帶給我們的美好感覺，它更是源於遵行我們天父的旨意。耶穌說：「你們要先求祂的國和祂的義，這些東西都要加給你們了。」（馬太福音6章33節）。

快樂可能會隨著下一個不愉快的經歷而消失，但跟隨耶穌所帶來的喜樂，卻能在逆境中持續增長。

“I have the right to be happy,” said a teenager as she spoke before a legislature. Yet she could have been anyone, anywhere, speaking for everybody. It’s our human cry. One self-help guru even said, “God wants you to be happy.”

Is that true? It’s not wrong to pursue happiness. That desirable state of mind, however, ebbs and flows with our moment-by-moment circumstances, and the fulfillment of one person’s desires can crush the happiness of another.

Jesus points us to something better. He knew He was about to be nailed to a Roman cross, where He would bear the weight of the world’s sin. Yet His concern was for His disciples. He told them, “You will weep and mourn while the world rejoices.” But He also said, “Your grief will turn to joy” (John 16:20). Then He promised, “No one will take away your joy” (v. 22).

This kind of joy is more than a good feeling based on desirable things happening to us. It grows out of doing the will of our Father in heaven. Jesus also said, “Seek first [God’s] kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33).

Happiness can slip away with the next unpleasant circumstance. The joy that comes from following Jesus can thrive despite those circumstances.