Is it wrong to feel happy?

Two weeks into the ministry and Kylie and I are feeling suspiciously happy! We’ve just felt this happiness all week without really knowing why. It’s not like we don’t have challenges where we have to fight to keep our eyes, thoughts and attitudes in the right place. The future is still uncertain for us. We’re heading out into the big unknown with no guarantees other than God. We have children to raise, bills to pay and life to live and contend with, with all it’s surprises physical, mental and spiritual. But we are just feeling happy. The kind you wonder “how long is this going to last for?” The kind that suggests either everything is going very well for you, or you could possibly be losing your mind and have slipped into some kind of blissful unreality that’s ungraciously going to catch up with you later on!

But we have been thinking about it, and here’s why we think we are feeling happy:

We are pioneering something: the human spirit needs adventure. We need to explore, discover, go beyond ourselves, conquer challenges and build something important. When we’re not doing that, or have settled, something in us feels unfulfilled or sad or perhaps even dies. Even though pioneering can be scary, the excitement and challenge of it brings deep satisfaction and happiness. Kylie and I are experiencing that feeling of being on an adventure and pioneering and building something from the ground up – and it just feels good!

We are creating an atmosphere: one of our highest values is that we get to create the atmosphere that we want to live in. We’re not going to just accept every rotten atmosphere that wants to impose and consume us or limit and control us. We create our own atmosphere through our attitudes, beliefs, values, focus, authority and the anointing and presence of God that is on our lives. Everywhere Jesus went He took His atmosphere. He didn’t accept everyone else’s atmosphere but instead changed the atmosphere with His own. He said, “When you go into a house, let your peace come upon that house.” (Matt 10:12). When He went to raise Jairus’ daughter from the dead at Jairus’ house, Jesus didn’t allow any of the people weeping and mourning to enter the house. He protected the atmosphere from unbelief and only took in those with faith. And in that atmosphere that Jesus created a great miracle took place. Kylie and I have been intentionally creating and protecting an atmosphere around us. An atmosphere of peace, simplicity, faith, joy and the presence of God. And living in this atmosphere is life.

Feeling of fulfilment: it doesn’t matter how much money or “success” you have in life, if you’re not fulfilling your God given purpose you will always feel unhappy and unsatisfied. Kylie and I feel like we have obeyed God and taken that step into our God given life purpose on planet earth. And even though we had to give up a lot in order to do it, and our world was turned upside down, it feels so good to be moving forward and up into the calling of God. This just in itself is unearthing powerful things deep within us, not only of joy but a new release of creativity, energy and passion.

Are we going to face major challenges in our future? Absolutely. Are we going to have setbacks? Most definitely. Is our joy going to be challenged? Without a doubt. Probably right after posting this blog! But I think it is good to step back and allow yourself to feel happy without guilt. Sometimes other people just need to see happy believers. Not fake or pretend happiness but true deep tested happiness that is real and is expressed purely and without boasting, and have those people say, “You know what? I want some of that happiness. I need to be in that atmosphere”.

So Kylie and I would like to invite you into our atmosphere. Let us help you create an atmosphere around your life of supernatural increasing peace, joy and fulfilment. Come and spend time soaking and feasting on an atmosphere of faith, truth, encounters with God, and the absolute good happy and joyful news of the truly amazing and never-gets-old Gospel of grace! In particular, we really want to encourage you to connect with us through our website and to feed on our audio teachings. They are full of the atmosphere of grace and truth and will quickly help you establish your own powerful atmosphere. Then everywhere you go, let that atmosphere change the people and the world around you.

God bless you, and may His peace fill you in every way.

All our love and warmest affection,

Ryan and Kylie Rufus.