The Christian’s Secret To A Happy Life-2

I want to return to Hannah Whitall Smith’s classic text. She asks how does a Christian enter into happiness. She maintains that this can’t be earned or attained. It is received as a gift. We abandon ourselves completely, believing that God doesn’t want to make our lives miserable and the God always works for out good. After this surrender to God, faith follows. We believe that God will save us and that one way or another we will experience Christ’s salvation now.

Smith goes on describes the difficulties in consecration that can face us, Often we have done what seems to be necessary, but nothing seems to change. Perhaps we think we can’t be consecrated unless we feel that we are. In reality, however, God’s promise comes first, faith is second and feeling is last.

Smith says that we come to God, surrendering our whole self as completely as we know how. We ask God to reveal any hidden rebellion in us. And if nothing is revealed, we must believe that there is nothing. We also believe that God has accepted our surrender.

Faith is simply believing God—it is nothing apart from its object. Faith does not save us. Faith links us to Christ’s salvation.

Worry and trust can’t exist together, says Smith. If we have ever experienced God’s trustworthiness, then we should believe that God is now worthy of our trust. When we have trusted God in a few things, that helps us to trust God in all things. Let your faith believe the promises of God.

Although Smith has many good things to say, I can’t quite go along with her when she says that worry and trust can’t coexist in the same person. I think most of us experience those ‘I believe, help my unbelief’ moments in our lives. Nevertheless, the idea that the experience of God’s trustworthiness in the past helps us to trust for the future is an important insight.