Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe in Him so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13 HCSB
To the world happiness and joy are one in the same. But to the Christian, the two are very different. I spent many years of my life pursuing happiness. As Americans we are well familiar with the phrase, “Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” as this is the unalienable rights stated in the Declaration of Independence. The Declaration of Independence says these rights have been given to all humans by their creator and the governments are created to protect these rights.
Sadly, we have taken the whole pursuit of happiness way too far. But that’s another blog for another day. You see we must pursue happiness because happiness is a condition brought on by our circumstances. We try to create situations or circumstances that will bring us happiness. We pursue happiness by doing things we think will make us happy. Sadly, we often believe that sinful behavior will make us happy. We think things like drinking, carousing, and sexual promiscuity will make us happy. But we are clearly told in Romans 13:13-14 to walk with decency, as in the daylight: not in carousing and drunkenness; not in sexual promiscuity; not in quarreling and jealousy but to put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no plans to satisfy the fleshly desires.
Happiness is fleeting. It gives us pleasure for a short while and then it brings heartache and pain. Drinking and carousing bring temporary happiness for a night, but the results in the morning are not so desirable. Sexual promiscuity may bring pleasure for a time, but usually ends in heartache and sadness. I think the fact that there is a pill called the morning after pill says it all.
Joy comes from God. In Galatians 4:22, we are told that love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness and self-control are the fruit of the Spirit. The result of a life lived with Jesus Christ is a culmination of all these things. This joy brings us peace. Joy and peace go hand in hand for the believer. This is a joy that is not a result of our circumstances or our emotions or our feelings. It is a result of a right relationship with our Lord and Savior. This is why it is unending joy. Isaiah 35:10 says the redeemed of the LORD will return and come to Zion with singing, crowned with unending joy. Joy and gladness will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee. This is what we have to look forward to in a life lived with Jesus. We will be taken to a place where there is no more sorrow, no more crying and no more tears (Revelation 21:4). As Christians we will face times of sadness and mourning here on earth. But we will have a peace that passes all understanding (Philippians 4:7). We will have joy in our Lord and Savior.
If you are pursuing happiness, you may find it leaves you high and dry. But if you are seeking the Lord with all your heart, you will have joy. You will have peace. I spent many years pursuing happiness. All I ever got was temporary happiness followed by heartache and pain. It left me feeling empty and alone. I had to stop pursuing happiness and seek my Lord and Savior. I have never regretted that decision.
None of us know how long we have left here. Do you want to spend that time in the pursuit of happiness, or do you want to spend that time seeking the Lord in order to have eternal joy? The choice is yours. I beg of you to choose wisely.
Have a great day!