How can one be happy? How can one live in difficult circumstances (family, domestic challenges, health problems, work issues, etc.) and still “rejoice always”? If a person strives to keep all the commandments and church rules, will there be fewer difficulties in their life? #

Neither the Lord Jesus Christ, nor His apostles, nor the holy fathers of later times promised that believers in Christ would be happy or that their lives would be less challenging than those of unbelievers. On the contrary, the Lord spoke of the way of His disciple as a narrow and thorny path, which few take, and along which one must go while bearing their cross. This cross signifies not only life’s troubles, illnesses, and sorrows but also the voluntary acceptance of reproach and persecution in this world for the name of Christ. The apostles taught that “all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution” (2 Timothy 3:12). All means all—not just certain martyrs or ascetics of the faith. Christ said that for believers in the last times, life will be very difficult: they will be persecuted even by close relatives, and anyone who kills a Christian will think they are offering a service to God.

This has already been fulfilled in the history of the Church of Christ and continues to be fulfilled today. Faithful Christians experience illnesses, sorrows, and temptations, as well as oppression and persecution—sometimes from their own family and close friends, and sometimes from outsiders, such as at work. However, the Lord Jesus Christ promised, as written in the Gospel of John, that His disciples would rejoice. But this joy is not connected with earthly blessings or life circumstances. This joy arises from encountering and communing with Christ Himself.

“Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full” (John 16:24).

But just a few verses later, the Gospel contains these other words of Christ:

“Indeed the hour is coming, yes, has now come, that you will be scattered, each to his own, and will leave Me alone. And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world, you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” (John 16:32–33).

Thus, sorrows are inevitable for Christians in this life. Yet, amidst these sorrows, the Lord gives peace and joy (which can be called true happiness) to those who commune with Him.

The holy apostle John, who wrote the Gospel containing these words of Christ, expressed the same thought in his other book, the First Epistle General:

“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life—the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us—that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. And these things we write to you that your joy may be full” (1 John 1:1–4).

Therefore, the proper order is this: a person becomes happy (peaceful and joyful) through communion with Christ (and, naturally, with His Church). As a result, they naturally strive to keep God’s commandments and the rules of the Church.

—Priest Mikhail Rodin