Everybody wants to be happy. A lot of people make a lot of money selling advice on how you can achieve happiness. But if you really want to know how you can be happy, the bible is the place to go. People will tell you that wealth or power will make you happy, but God’s word says otherwise. “He who loves silver will not be satisfied with silver; Nor he who loves abundance, with increase. This also is vanity.” (Ecclesiastes 5:10). To be happy in this life we must recognize that all earthly things are temporary. “Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” (1 Timothy 6:6-10). Another thing we must keep in mind if we would be happy in this world is we must be careful about the company we keep. In 1 Corinthians 15:33 the apostle Paul said, “Do not be deceived: ‘Evil company corrupts good habits.’” Proverbs 12:26 tells us, “The righteous should choose his friends carefully, For the way of the wicked leads them astray.” In Paul’s day or the time the Proverbs were written, these verses dealt with the friends and associates that a godly person had. In our day, these verses should also caution us about the things we see on television or on the internet. These can have just as much influence on us as the people we keep company with. If we want to be happy, we must also develop the self-discipline to control the things we think about. “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he…” (Proverbs 23:7). In Romans 12:1-2 Paul says that this change of heart is necessary. “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” As Paul told the church at Philippi, you will benefit if you channel your thoughts into the proper paths. “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.” (Philippians 4:8-9).