Holiness and Happiness

An article appeared on Livescience.com today. It is called, "Don't Worry: Happiness Levels Not Set in Stone". The main point of the article is that happiness is not genetically prewired. Happiness can change for all of us throughout our lives. They point to things that really happy people have in common. One of those things is going to church. I find this interesting for a very good reason. In my interactions with people who call themselves Christians I have often heard a comment about happiness. It usually comes from someone facing a challenge in their lives. It goes something like this, "God wants me to be happy doesn't He?"

What always strikes me as interesting about these comments is that they usually come from people going through situations where they are being pushed by the circumstances to lean more on God. God will place us in situations that strip away the earthly things that we depend upon. He does this to bring us into a greater dependence on Him and to help us to know Him better. Job went through this very thing. God led Job to a place where he looked back on what he went through and declares that he has seen things too wonderful for him (Job 42:3). What Job went through stripped him of everything that he had to enjoy and depend on except for God. Yet Job appears to count it as all worth it because He has come to know God better. James says a similar thing in James 1:2-4,

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

It appears that James point is that God wants us to be holy or set apart to Himself more than He want us to be happy. But here is the great irony for those who come to embrace knowing God. In coming to know and depend upon God we will find that there is greater peace and joy in knowing God than in not knowing Him. You see when we are depending on Him we know that the things our heavenly Father takes us through are for our benefit. When we realize that even the challenges are there to help to shape us we can rejoice in them (Philippians 4:4). Does God want us to be happy? No God wants us to be Holy, but in the midst of embracing the holiness that He is producing in us we will find true and lasting happiness and joy.

Why followers of God know peace

In Philippians 4:11-13 Paul bears witness to the fact that God has given him the grace to be content in any situation. What is the key to that contentment? A clear focus and dependence upon God. Paul faced times of plenty and abundance and realized that they were a gift to him from God. Paul faced hunger and need and realized that these too were a gift from God. How can hunger and need be a gift from God? Hunger and need are a gift to the believer who like Paul has a clear focus and dependence on God. Hunger and need are blessed reminders of how much we truly need God to sustain us. By thrusting us into the barren desert of need God helps us to let go of our dependence on things of this earth. We are put in a place where we truly must depend on God. When Paul says, "that he can do all things through Christ who strengthens him" he is talking about being able to walk through adversity as well as plenty.

Paul's admonition earlier in the same chapter rings with greater force when we understand his personal heartbeat that follows it (Philippians 4:4-7). Paul started that earlier section with a call to rejoice in the Lord always. The only way you can rejoice ALWAYS is if you see everything that is coming to you as a gift. These are all gifts given to us by God for our own benefit. Paul continues with a call to be gentle with everyone. Even those who are not good to us? In a word yes! Why? Because the Lord is at hand.

He tells us not to worry. What should we do with the things that come our way? We communicate everything to God by prayer and supplication with one unusual thing thrown in - Thanksgiving. Paul wants us to make our request but in the midst of making them to be thankful for these same things because they are truly a gift from God. When your heart is tuned to being thankful and rejoicing in all the things that come our way we will gain something that is astounding. Peace! Not just any peace but the peace of God that surpasses all understanding.

1. Rejoice always - because you see everything coming to you as a gift
2. Be gentle with everyone - because the Lord is at hand and He will make things right
3. Don't worry - take everything to God by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving

Do these things and rivet your eyes on the Lord Jesus and an amazing peace from God that passes understanding will fill our hearts. Not only that but He will guard our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus. As we rejoice in Him He will secure our hearts so that they can continue to rejoice in Him. This is why the true followers of Jesus in the midst of persecution and a life devoid of external peace will exhibit a heart filled with supernatural peace that cannot be taken away. Join me as I try to follow Paul's plan for living a life completely focused on God.

Happiness Vs. Joy

How many times have I heard the phrase, "God wants me to be happy"? It alway brings to mind the same internal response. "No God did not die on the cross to make me happy He died to make me Holy." If the situation seems appropriate I will share this phrase. But in a sense if God created us to begin with during the 6th day of creation then you would think that in a perfect world Adam probably was happy. I think that when people make this comment about God wanting them to be happy they are sensing the happiness that was lost in the fall. But happiness is not something we can manufacture. It is the result of circumstances. A child does something funny and we all laugh. Someone tells a joke with that perfect timing that brings a happy smile to everyone's face. Being happy is an emotional result of something that happens. Therefore in a fallen world happiness will be sporadic at best. Joy on the other hand is something that is abiding. Joy comes from the peace that floods the soul of the Christian who is resting in Jesus Christ (Philippians 4:7). Joy is not contingent on circumstances. A person can be going through a major trial and still have the peace and joy of the Lord. Happiness would have been blown away by that type of circumstance. Joy comes to us as a result of surrendering to Jesus. The more that we put to death the deeds of the flesh the greater our abiding joy will be. Even in the midst of adversity we will find joy in Jesus (1 Thessalonians 1:6). The disciples rejoiced when they faced demons and returned rejoicing (Luke 10:17). Seek to grow in your relationship with Jesus Christ and you will find that joy begins to become a regular component of your life because true joy comes from God.

...to become like a child

This last Sunday we celebrated our 3 year old son's 4th birthday a couple of days early. He told us that he wanted lots of presents. Of course to a soon to be 4 year old the number of presents is more important than the type of presents. So balls and cars and bubble's and little planes were all the order of the day. Lots of activity preceded the gift giving part of the day as more and more of his older siblings slipped away to wrap something or slip an item into a gift bag neatly concealing it with tissue paper. Our two year old daughter watched in silent wonder at the energy being expended creating colorful boxes and bags for her closest brother. The excitement mounted until we gathered in the living room to begin the process of discovering what was inside those wonderful boxes and bags. As the gift giving proceeded our two year old slipped away. She soon returned with a bag of her own. We all watched in anticipation and she beamed with excitement as her brother began to take the tissue paper out of her bag. Piece after piece of tissue come billowing out of the container as our son proceeded to liberate one paper after the other from its secret hiding place. Our two year old had managed to stuff an amazing amount of colorful tissue paper into her gift. She pumped her little legs up and down with excitement as one piece after another hit the floor. Finally he got to the bottom of the bag and there was nothing in it but tissue paper. He turned to the next gift to look for something of more value to him. But what he failed to realize is that he had received the best possible gift from his little sister. Our two year old in an amazing moment of selflessness took the time to try and bring joy to her brother. She had nothing to give but her effort at building a better relationship with him. I'm sure she did not think of it this way she just loved her brother and wanted to be a part so she made herself a part. Her Dad saw the best gift in the empty bag. You see what she gave was her. She gave the attempt at bringing joy to him, and it totally came from her. No one helped. She did it all on her own, and it was beautiful. I believe Jesus was thinking of things like this that little children do when He told the disciples that they needed to become like a little child (Matthew 18:3-4). You see God calls us to come to him just as we are. If we bring our good works we are not acceptable. If we bring our intellect and understanding that will not do. We must come empty handed depending entirely on the great work of Jesus on our behalf to make us perfect and acceptable in God's eyes. We must come to Him and rejoice in Him empty handed because that is the thing that will bring us and Him the greatest joy. You see He did not die for the works that we do...He died to take the penalty for our sins and make us righteous. Jesus died to found and perfect our faith (Hebrews 12:2). Jesus died so that we might know Him. So when we embrace Him with all that we are that is the best thing we could possibly do.