The ideal creation of man and woman is happiness. God did not create a human being to be unhappy. However, the reality is that not many people feel happy most of the times. However, the Bible teaches us that problems are tests to our lives. James 1 v 2-5 teaches us to rejoice when facing challenges.

The other day, a church Pastor at Star Radio was preaching that a Christian is not expected to be unhappy. What the Pastor was trying to say was that challenges are necessary part of our lives. Problems mature our behavior and thoughts. It is like drinking tea, we have to boil the water to make good tea. Gold must be heated in a furnace to look beautiful.  Christianity is a personal relationship with Jesus Christ therefore anyone sharing a true relationship with Jesus cannot get angry.

The fact is that happiness or sadness is a state of mind. A good example is a rainy day some people may think that a rainy day is a bad day while others may welcome it as a blessing from God. The reality of the rain is one and the same but the way the two individuals feel about it is exactly opposite. The people who rejoice in the rain associate the rain with farming. Those unhappy with the rain are office workers who want to travel between their homes and offices without being soaked and yet they also need food crops to survive.

The same applies to marriage. When trouble arises in a family, there are some who forget all the good things in the past. They quickly give up and seek divorce. Recently, we heard of a high profile divorce in Malawi between Dr Bakili Muluzi and Dr Shanil Muluzi. The best advice is to face difficulties as challenges which must be overcome.

When married couples disagree on an issue, it does not mean the two do not love each other. It all depends on perception. Sometimes problems in a family resolve themselves over time. This underlines the importance of perseverance as taught in James 1 vs 2-5 in the Bible.