Happy, who learns from God who man is
In its realism, Christianity explains that the first condition for achieving happiness is to understand oneself. Whoever does not know who he/she is and what the meaning of his/her existence is has no idea which ways of life lead to happiness and which distance him/her from happiness.
If someone thinks that he/she is only a body, he/she will be convinced that for happiness it is enough for him/her to satisfy his/her instincts, drives and provide himself/herself with comfortable conditions of life. If, on the other hand, one thinks that man is a spirit trapped in the body, he/she will be convinced that the condition of happiness is the struggle with one's own corporeality. Whoever interprets man in an extreme way will offer himself/herself and others distorted ideas for seeking happiness.
It is difficult for human beings to understand himself/herself in a holistic and realistic way, not only because of the complexity of our nature, but also because we look at ourselves through the prism of our own conduct.
For example, if a man/woman cheats on their spouses and harms other person, then he/she easily believes that a man is someone who, like animals, should direct his drives and suppress nothing in the sexual sphere, because "this is human nature." If, on the other hand, a human being is a faithful friend, respects the voice of conscience and keeps his word, then he can discover that man, unlike animals, is someone capable of faithful love forever, and that only such love gives lasting joy.
The Bible assures us that man is happy, has befriended God and trusts in Him, because the Creator reveals to us not only Himself, but also the truth about us. It is He who created us, and it is He who understands us best. Therefore, the biblical vision of man turns out to be the most comprehensive and realistic of all the anthropological concepts that have appeared in the history of humankind.
The Scriptures state that man is someone who is irrevocably loved by God. Being loved is the first most important quality of each of us. Secondly, man is someone like God, that is, able to respond with love to love. Third, man is someone priceless in God's eyes. This is why no human being is allowed to be treated as property. Even God does not treat us as His property, which He freely manages, but as beloved children for whom He cares and for whom He gave His life on the cross. Fourth, a person is someone who has no limits in development. This is because we will never be so like God that we always can become even more like Him.
Fifthly, man is someone capable of rational thinking in order to discover that he is loved and capable of love, and to understand what true love consists in, that is, the love that Jesus teaches us. Sixth, man is endowed by God with the freedom to love if he wishes. For no one can be forced to love. Seventh, a person is someone who is weakened and spiritually wounded by the result of original sin, as a result of the sins of people of subsequent generations, as well as by his own sins. This spiritual wound, which also has its traces in our flesh and in our psyche, is the only negative quality of man and the only one that does not come from God. Eighth, the Bible assures us that, with God's help, even after original sin, each of us is able to convert and grow to holiness, that is, to become like God, who is love and holiness.
The first condition for achieving lasting happiness is that human beings respect his/her own nature and the truth about himself/herself.
The happier man becomes, the more he realizes that he is irrevocably loved by God, the more he learns to love as Jesus loved, the more he protects his dignity and pricelessness, the more he works on his development, the more he uses rationality and freedom to love, the more he remains vigilant in the face of his own weaknesses and external threats, and also in a more radical way he strives for holiness, that is, to become more and more like God.
Until Tomorrow
fr. george