A Happy Home Makes Gladness

Another helper of gladness is a happy home . It need not be a home of wealth and luxury; it may be plain, without wealth, with but little adornment — yet filled with love. There hearts trust each other. Men who are out in the world all day must be continually on their guard, not knowing whom they may trust; when they come home at nightfall they may lay aside their reserve, for they are with those now who love them. Home is a resting-place for tired hearts. Many of us would never be able day after day to face life, with its struggles, its battles, its duties — were it not for the renewal of strength which we get in our home.

Many are the joys of a true home. True wedded life gives sweet happiness. Husband and wife live for each other, and learn to practice all of love's sweet lessons — thoughtfulness, patience, helpfulness, kindness. Children bring new happiness; the meaning of the home-life deepens as they come. They add to the care — but in the care, rich blessing is folded up. Love's burdens are light — they are gifts of God. They are to the soul — what wings are to the bird. A true home is a little fragment of Heaven , not with Heaven's perfect purity and perfect happiness — but having in it something of Heaven's love, a prophecy at least of the full life of love in the Father's house beyond the shadows of earth.

What scenes on earth are more beautiful than those which are witnessed in a consistent Christian home — the family gathered at the table, or sitting about the evening lamp with reading and music and conversation, or bowing in prayer at the family altar! It is easy to be good and true, with a holy home-life to inspire in us the things that are beautiful and worthy.

A Holy Life and Good Conscience Inspire Songs

A good conscience is also a helper of gladness. One who lives in neglect of God's commandments, is making unhappiness for himself. Sin has its pleasures, but in the end they yield a harvest of briers and thorns! The later years are fields in which the sowings of earlier years come to ripeness. If we live disobediently and selfishly — then we are destroying our own gladness, and preparing bitterness for ourselves. But if we live a holy life — then we are writing the music of sweet songs which shall sing in our heart in the days to come, and even in the night of our sorrow. Nothing does more for our happiness than a well-lived past . Good deeds, gentle ministries, unselfish kindnesses, and helpful words spoken — will make a memory of gladness.

What a wonderful thing memory is! There is a Persian story of a king who dedicated one room in his palace to be a chamber of memory . In it he kept the memorials of his earlier days, before royal favor had lifted him from his lowly place to a position of honor. It was a little room, with bare floors; and here he kept his crook, his wallet, his coarse dress, and his water-cruse — things which had belonged to his shepherd-life. Every day he went for an hour away from the splendors of his palace, into this humble room, to live again for a time amid the memorials of his happy youth. Very sweet were his recollections; and by his daily visit his heart was kept warm and tender amid all the pomp and show, and all the trial and sorrow, of his public life.

It would be a wonderful promoter of gladness if everyone, in the midst of life's responsibilities and cares, its temptations and struggles — would keep such a chamber of memory , filled with the mementos of youth's happy days. Most of us grow old too soon. We forget our childhood joys as we take upon us so early the serious burdens of maturity. We should keep one room in our heart as a treasure-chamber for the sweet joys that we have left behind. Memory has marvelous power to make gladness for us.

These are some of the many ways in which gladness is promoted. God has done a great deal to make us happy. He wants us to be glad. The word glad comes from a root which means to be bright, to shine — God wants us to be bright, shining Christians. A great deal is said in the Bible about the duty of Christians to be lights in the world. We are lamps which God lights, that we may give light to all who are in the house. We are specially warned against having our light dimmed or obscured in any way. We are to be light always, not only in the daytime, but especially in the darkness — for there it is that most of all the world needs the light of our lamp. Nothing hides the light more quickly or more effectively, than unhappiness. A Christian should be a lamp that always shines, not only in time of prosperity — but also in the day of adversity. We sin against God, and we rob the world of blessing — when our gladness fails us.

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