True Happiness

Okay, lets take a brief break from my summer memories and talk about...

HAPPINESS

I've been thinking about happiness lately.  The subject of happiness seems to come up in every book I've read lately and today that's what our pastor spoke about. 

I've been reading a book on spiritual warfare.  There was a section I read about how everyone in this world is so worried about their own happiness.  To be "of the world" we get sucked in, and we think that we will be happy once we have this or buy that, or get that certain job. 

But the truth is...we can't truly be happy without HIM.

Here's a piece of the book I've been reading...it's called:

The Invisible War by Chip Ingram

       Armed with all the information about Satan we've covered in this chapter, see if you can find his trademark false values, distorted agendas, self-directed pursuits, and subtle half-truths in the following description.  One of the biggest lies we fall for today is rampant even in our churches.  He has convinced us that life is a playground, that our primary goal is to be happy, and that God is the cosmic vending machine that can make it happen.

       Because we so desperately want life to be a playground, we do whatever we can to make it one.  We go through life as consumers, shopping for the best toys we can find to make us happy, scouting out the best vacation spots to keep us rested and refreshed, and filling up our free time with diversion after diversion.  After all, if life is a playground, our number one goal ought to be to enjoy it.

       Somewhere along the way, our Christian culture bought into the assumption that God's primary purpose for us is to have fun and be personally fulfilled.  Hollywood and Madison Avenue have done a great job of cultivating our desires.  They tell us what it takes to be happy, giving us example after example of the good life--a carefree, satisfied existence that we can all have if we'll only buy the right products and take care of ourselves.  Pleasure is ours for the taking if we will only buy the formula.  And pleasure, we're told, is what fulfillment is all about.

       There's a lot of truth to that, of course.  God does offer us fulfillment.  But it's a by-product of our relationship with God, not our number one goal.  Fulfillment in itself is a "me-oriented" objective.  We are never told in Scripture to make happiness the object of our pursuit; that's idolatry.  We can seek joy and fulfillment and all the things God has planned for us, but we are to seek them by seeking God himself.  God is not an enemy of happiness; he just doesn't give it to us in the ways we expect.  It's in his time, in his way, and as part of his plan.

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Matt 6:33

Today, our pastor read from Luke 17:11 and spoke of the story where 10 people were healed of leprosy.  The point of the story for today was that only ONE of the ten came back to Jesus and thanked Him that he was healed. 

The secret to deep enduring happiness is:

GRATITUDE

(a feeling of thankfulness and appreciation)

But the most important part is to know WHO to thank!

Our pastor went on the give 3 things that diminish gratitude...

1. The negative perspective

(He gave the example of complaining about mowing the grass...then he realized, hey, I have a lawn, thank you Jesus, I have a house that sits on the lawn, thank you Jesus, I have a job that helps me provide for the things that we have, thank you Jesus, I have talents and gifts, etc which helps make me HAVE a job, thank you Jesus...and on and on.)

2. Greed (feelings of inadequacy)

(He even spoke of commercials...they will even make you feel insecure and inadequate until you BUY THEIR PRODUCT!  We always want more...this goes on to what I was talking about above...we won't be happy until we have X, Y, and Z)

3. Self-Sufficiency

(WE NEED HIM!!)

I read something the other day (and I can't even remember where) but that when we follow God's will for our lives, that we will be happy doing things that we never imagined we would be happy doing!

I am so incredibly happy right now.  I was so scared to quit my job to prepare to homeschool our kids and I'm so thrilled to have this opportunity to be home with them and teach them.  I think that happiness doesn't mean things are perfect.  I think it means that you acknowledge all that you DO have and are thankful for those things and because you are appreciating all of the things you have, then in turn you are

HAPPY!

We ended the service with writing down things that we are thankful for on a piece of paper and then covering the alter with the papers filled with thanks.  It's amazing when you take time to just think and literally write down what you're thankful for, you will see how much you really do have.  Everything we have is because of HIM! 

What are you thankful for in your life?  Thank Him today!