The Pursuit of Happiness

What's He Searching For?

What is man searching for?  He is pursuing happiness. Yes, this is what I see man searching for. He looks for something to fill the deep emptiness inside of himself. He is constantly consuming but is never able to satisfy his void.

What Does He Need?

Christians often try to address man's felt need for happiness and offer God as the solution to man's emptiness. Happiness is not man's true need though, salvation is.  Peace and joy are legitimate outcomes of salvation; however, Christians will have trials, tribulations, and persecution in this life. It's true that God fills the longing soul, but that is not why we need Him. We need him because we are sinners. We are separated from God because of our sin. We need a right standing with God. Man's greatest need is holiness not happiness! We are all going to die and face God on judgement day. It will not  matter how happy you were in your lifetime. All that will matter on judgement day is if you have been made righteous by the blood of Christ.

Why Should We Share the Gospel?

Sinners can be happy in their sin. They can find gratification from sinning. Eve was not forced to eat the forbidden fruit but did so for her own momentary pleasure. Adam and Eve were commanded not to eat the fruit because it would cause death and separation from God. It was not because it would be unpleasant and they wouldn't be happy. Man does not need God in order to be happy. Man needs God in order to be holy! We need to share the gospel with people because they have sinned and are unrighteous in God's sight. They are headed for hell and their only escape is Jesus Christ. This should be the reason we give a sinner for why they need salvation. The issue is not happiness but holiness and righteousness. It is not this moment but eternity. It is not their life but their death. We must share the gospel! (Originally posted on 1/7/13)

Unfathomable Riches

Our family bought some land in the country and we plan to build our house on it. We have been clearing the pasture, cleaning out the old barns, and preparing the house site. As I took a wheelbarrow of sticks to one of the enormous piles of trees that we cleared, the wind blew a small speck of something into my eye. I rubbed my eye and blinked, but it would not come out. I made my way to our van with one eye half open. My other eye was instinctively closing because of the speck, and I could not open it. We poured Visine in my eye, and the speck would not move. It was a tiny barb that was embedded on the inside of my top eyelid. My mom drove to a nearby friend's house, and she tried to use a Q-tip and even a baby spoon to remove it. It would not budge though, so she took me to the clinic where my grandmother works. All the way there, I kept my eyes shut and did not move them so that it would not hurt. I was very thankful when my grandmother successfully removed it!

I was thinking about the whole story though, and it made me realize that often, all I can think about are the tiny things that are causing me discomfort such as that speck. So often, I will focus on the small things that I do not like, and I forget to praise God for the many ways He has blessed me. We truly have to look harder to complain than to give thanks. God has blessed us with unfathomable riches in Christ (Eph. 3:8). We have been forgiven every debt we have ever owed! We have been given the right to be called children of God! Nothing can separate us from the love of Christ! WHAT IS THERE TO COMPLAIN ABOUT? When we remember what God has done for us, it puts our trials into perspective!  Our sufferings are nothing compared to His! We no longer have to face the wrath of God because Christ bore all God's wrath for those who have faith in Him! Do you have a "speck" in your eye? What are you focusing on? Let us praise God for the unfathomable riches He has blessed us with in Christ! 

In a Pickle

Yesterday my mom had to take my grandmother to the doctor, and we were in charge of all the kids except the baby. Mommy took her with her. We had eaten our breakfast, and the dishes were dirty, The laundry needed to be done, schoolwork  needed to be accomplished, and all the little ducks (the children) would not stay in a row. It was right then that the shelf fell off of the refrigerator door, and a pickle jar shattered on the kitchen floor. Pickles and pickle juice covered the kitchen floor, and the juice was spreading under the fridge. I was in a pickle! Does this sound familiar to you?

Ahhh!

I like to think of it this way. God is the  teacher, and I am the student. Every day He gives me a sheet of problems to solve that go along with the lesson He wants to teach me. I have noticed that when I feel the tasks I must do are to many, or that I am incapable of doing them, often God wants to teach me something. It is easy to complain, but that profits nothing. Am I we willing to learn? Will I put in the effort it takes to grow? Are you facing a pickle? Maybe God is trying to teach you something. God will give us the stregnth we need when we're in a pickle if we ask Him and rely on Him for it!