Tag Archives: happiness

When your happiness is at odds with God’s glory

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Why do you pray to God? Why do you praise Him?

 

Some say we should pray to God to get what we want…because God is bent on making our lives happy and comfortable. Victoria Osteen, with her husband Joel smiling approvingly at her side, said to her congregation (I quote):

“I just want to encourage every one of us to realize when we obey God, we’re not doing it for God – we’re doing it for ourselves, because God takes pleasure when we’re happy. That’s the thing that gives Him the greatest joy. When you come to church, when you worship Him, you’re not doing it for God really. You’re doing it for yourself, because that’s what makes God happy. Amen?”

 

Really? Look, we all get it wrong sometimes. That is precisely why we need to hold everything up to the light of the full gospel to examine its truth… including Victoria’s and Joel’s messages and also this blog.

 

The bible is very clear in demonstrating that God wants the best for us. He has two plans for us, to save us and to provide for us according to His love. His love is so great that He sent His only Son to rescue us… while we were still sinners!

 

Yes, He wants you to experience great joy, especially the joy set before Jesus as he approached the cross. What joy is that? It is the joy of being united with our heavenly Father, right now and for all eternity. I doubt our sense of ‘happiness’ is the same as the joy Jesus considered on the way to the cross. But God doesn’t worship our happiness. Making sure we are tickled with life is not the object of His message. And it shouldn’t be the object of our worship.

 

GOD, the one and only, the now and always, the Almighty God, prince of peace, author of creation, our rock, our refuge, our strong tower, the one who saves, He who provides, the only one who really knows our heart and understands us…this Holy and perfect, powerful, just, faithful, and – thank you, Lord – ever so merciful God is the object of our worship. Our real happiness comes from our worship of such a great loving God. We don’t do it for ourselves, although we certainly benefit from it. Truthfully, we could be standing at the precipice of life, with one breath left and no chance of being saved, and still God would be worthy of our praise and worship!

 

Our joy doesn’t have to be at odds with God’s glory. We don’t have to give up joy to honor God. But let’s not make the mistake of making our happiness the object of our worship. The heart that is able to worship and praise their loving God regardless of their circumstances is the heart that finds abundant joy. Isn’t that what you want?

 

Be vigilant. Be wise as serpents, gentle as doves. Matthew 10:16.

 

 

Happy is the one who trusts

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Happy is the man who trusts in The Lord. Psalm 40:4

Happy is the one who never loses faith in me. Matthew 11:6

 

What words come to mind when you think of being happy? Probably you think of peace, serenity, security, trust. We naturally desire these. And yet, while we all seek happiness, we so easily put ourselves in fretful situations where we are sure not to find it!

 

There were certainly times when trust is a challenge. In my cancer journey I was quite familiar with Romans 14:8: Live or die, I win because Jesus is Lord. But what about the in between time when it seems, this is not real living nor death?  That’s when trust is harder, isn’t it? In those times we worry, we fret, we analyze and try to sketch an escape route from our pain. We fight to gain control over what we can never control. We are anything but happy.

 

Sometimes hearing a certain diagnosis brings people so quickly to the very end of their rope they desperately reach out to grasp the only faithful hand, God’s. Others suddenly come to the awareness of the truth of God in such a resilient way, they trust Him inherently. Some who have not built trust in God during times of plenty find it immensely difficult to trust Him in times when everything seems taken away. But it is possible.

 

Big faith or small, we build on the measure of faith given to us. (Romans 12:3) Our trust in people is earned in small measures at first, isn’t it? As you come to trust someone consistently in small ways, that trust grows to bear the weight of heavier matters. Someone who has been faithful in great things bears your deeper trust. And so it is with God. If we can trust “He who did not spare His own Son but gave him freely for us” (Romans 8:32) can’t we trust Him for our daily challenges? If you trust Him with your eternal life, doesn’t it make sense to believe His Word to be true for today’s struggles?

 

If you find it hard to trust God for the outcomes of your problems, look to a moment at a time when you found Him faithful. Ask Him to show Himself to you and trust Him for a glimpse of His greatness. You don’t have to endure your whole life right now. Trust Him to honor His word to give you grace, one moment at a time. It will be an imperfect and awkward dance if you are not used to it. It will seem that you are always wanting to take the lead. But trust a little. And as you find assurance, trust some more. Let God build your trust and find a certain contented happiness that satisfies more than what we find in this world.

 

 

Happy is the one who follows the right path

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Happy is the man who does not follow the advice of the wicked or take the path of sinners or join a group of mockers. Psalm 1:1

 

Being on the right path matters. Consistently choosing the right path requires a compass. What compass are you using these days? Not just for big decisions, but for the ones that define your character in daily choices?

 

I heard so many say at the end of the political campaign season that they were tired of all the negative ads, the bitterness and mockery. And yet, after the election there are many who continue to want to mock the victors and those who lost.

 

Do you ever recall a time when Jesus made fun of or ridiculed people? Oh yes, he called out the pretentious religious leaders who weren’t following God, but he didn’t mock them. Neither should we mock others. There’s nothing good to be gained by our sarcastic and biting wit.  There might be a wicked sense of self-righteous satisfaction in giving someone a piece of our mind. But be warned, we all only have so many pieces left! Consider whether you want to give someone a piece of your mind or have peace of mind and be happy.

 

We each will come across many other path choices today:

  • The path of being focused on our own schedule or the one that pays attention to the needs of those around us
  • The path of putting others down or the path of lifting them up
  • The path of letting little things frustrate us or the path of finding peace in God
  • The path of anxiety or the path of faith
  • The path of making a living or the path of making a worthwhile life

 

Let Jesus be your compass in choosing the right path today.