The purest definition of evil is finding pleasure in advertently contributing to the discomfort of others – especially the weak, the vulnerable, the hopeless needy and the innocent. Evil people enjoy drawing strength from weakening the others.
On the other hand, the purest form of love is finding pleasure in advertently contributing to the comfort of the others. Good people enjoy drawing strength from empowering the others. (James 1:27).
Being love itself God’s source of pleasure is to see us experience joy. That’s why His mission is to help people experience a life full of joy. Satan’s pleasure, however, is in the displeasure of others. No wonder his primary mission is to steal, kill and destroy others. John 10:10
It’s a scientific fact that self-inducing pleasure – through such things as drugs, sex , food, achievement or gifts – can be temporary at best and lethal at worst. If one’s source of pleasure is in seing others destroyed chances are one will engage in a mission to destroy others until he finally destroys oneself. Indeed, selfishness is self-destructive.
Real happiness is not the absence of discomfort. Healthy and lasting happiness ( the bible call it joy) is a positive differnce between inadvertent discomfort and comfort. In other words joy is a sharp transition from inadvertent discomfort to comfort. The best way to experience joy, therefore, is to positively navigate through inadvertent discomfort (discomfort that you do not intentionaly bring to yourself) or actively help others experience joy.
We might make a decent temporal living by what we get , Winston Churchill observed, but we make a comfortable lasting life by what we give to others.
Dreamlife Mission 