Article July 21, 1923 Issue

True Happiness

ANNA M. GRAFELMAN

Every one is looking for happiness. It is something for which each is seeking in everything he undertakes. In his business or in his profession he is striving for success, perhaps planning to amass a fortune, because he thinks it will bring him happiness. He seeks for happiness during his recreation hours in the pleasures of the world, only to ascertain that it cannot be found there. In the past, humanity generally has been searching for happiness in material things,—in the things of matter instead of Spirit; and it is slowly awakening to realize the truth of the words of the great Preacher when he spoke of matter thus: "All is vanity and vexation of spirit."

In "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 57), Mrs. Eddy says: "Happiness is spiritual, born of Truth and Love. It is unselfish; therefore it cannot exist alone, but requires all mankind to share it." One student of Christian Science gained a deeper sense of the meaning of this passage through an experience which came to her one summer. She had been struggling for a number of weeks with a problem, and it seemed to her that she could never be truly happy until this problem was satisfactorily solved. Later she spent a number of weeks in a cabin in a beautiful spot in the heart of the mountains, where hours each day were given to studying and pondering the Word of God. She had not been happy at home, though surrounded with every material comfort. In this primitive mountain cabin, however, deprived of many of the things which we call comforts, she was very happy. Then she saw, as never before, that happiness is truly spiritual, "born of Truth and Love,"—that true joy and peace can be found only in the things of God.

Material riches and worldly pleasures do not bring happiness. Neither is happiness dependent upon personality, or place, or thing. Joy and contentment are wholly within; they are not dependent upon outward conditions. When we believe that certain material circumstances can make us unhappy, they may seem to do so until our thought is changed regarding them. When the light of Truth comes to our consciousness and pierces the darkness of mortal belief, we begin to see that happiness is spiritual; that as the children of God, it is our divine right, our heaven-bestowed heritage; and then comes the realization that we may be happy at all times and under all circumstances. Material things are not real and substantial; and the pleasures they bring are but fleeting dream-shadows: while spiritual things, the things of God, are substantial and enduring; and they alone can bring true contentment and peace.

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