God wants us to be happy. On the surface it doesn't sound like any reasonable person could disagree with this statement. It is simple, to the point, and what we would like to believe. God created us, He loves the work of His hands, why wouldn't He want us to be happy? Yet, there is no verse in the Bible that directly states those words, no phrase that states what would seem to the be obvious. God wrote a whole Bible and He didn't include that line, one might be inclined to wonder why.
If on that evidence, we decide the statement is not true, is the opposite true? Does God want us to be unhappy? The very idea seems absurd. Why would God sacrifice His only begotten Son in order to save a creature that He desires to live in misery? It goes against our grain even to entertain the idea. Yet, thankfully, that phrase is not included in the Bible either. No where in the Holy Text are we admonished to be miserable or unhappy as a way of life.
So, which is true? Does God want us to be happy or unhappy? The answer depends a lot on the person. What types of things make you happy? Do you like to party, do drugs, gossip, indulge in unhealthy amounts of food? On the other hand, do you enjoying intercessory prayer, turning the other cheek, and donating your time and goods to others in need? In short, where does your happiness stem from— indulgences of the flesh or spirit?
The Bible in not mute on this subject. "Happy is that people whose God is the Lord." (Psalms 144:15), "delight thyself in the Lord", (Isaiah 58:9). In these lines lie the key to happiness.
If God is our Lord, we won't act like the world around us. We will be a separate people that desires to serve His will in our lives. A pay raise at work will not make us nearly as happy as seeing a lost sinner repent. We will be more excited about witnessing to a neighbor than taking a big vacation.
So, how do we get our priorities to fall in line with these standards? In all seriousness, how can a person get to the point where witnessing really does give them that level of excitement or where seeing a sinner repent brings that kind of joy? To be honest, the joys of life seem preprogramed yet, the Bible clearly states that we are in control.
Whether we would like to admit it or not, we can decide what makes us happy. Just like a person on a diet might decide that being thin makes them more happy then the momentary indulgence of a piece of pie, we can change our value system to match the Will of God. Not overnight, but it can be done. We simply "lay aside every weight and the sin that doth so easily beset us" (Heb.12:1). Things in our lives that are clearly wrong and serve only to fulfill the will of the flesh must go. We don't just go on a "spiritual diet" and give them up for the first few months that we are saved. We must "lay them aside." This means leaving them where you left them. Addicts and alcoholics know this rule very well. Once they decide to rehabilitate, there is no room for the old addiction. You can't go to dope parties with friends and you can't have a social drink with the guys. It's over, that life must be left behind. In the same way, we have all been addicted to the will of the flesh. Serving the whims of our "beast nature" and supplying it's needs above all else.
It takes discipline, will power, and most importantly, the grace of God to accomplish this task, but we can do it! When we place our life in God's hands, and our futures in His control, there is a peace and joy that no one can describe. The same way a new Christian feels clean and joyful, we can have that feeling and peace every day of our lives. It just takes sacrificing the man of sin.
"As we have born the image of the earthy, we shall also bare the image of the heavenly" (I Cor. 15:49) Our lives and very personalities will change. We will truly start looking more like Jesus than we resemble our old man. People will notice the difference! |
