Happiness, we all talk about, all seek it, hopefully we've all felt it, society says we “deserve” to have it. But what is it really and should we spend our lives pursuing it? I feel happy when labs show that my white cells went up, watching a beautiful sunset, hearing that a baby was saved, seeing friends/family, eating ice cream on a summer day, winning at anything competitive ;) and the list goes on. But all of these things are short lived, happiness is fleeting. No one can hold on to it. When our circumstances change, our level of happiness quickly follows. So my conclusion is that a lot of the unhappiness in our world is a result of the endless pursuit of “happiness.”
I think trials, more than anything else, force us to face the fact that there is a big difference between happiness and joy. Doesn't take much to strip us of our happiness. Society tells us to seek happiness, but that mission leaves us feeling frustrated and let down. We might temporarily feel happy, but inevitably it will fade. Joy, on the other hand, is different. It comes from something much deeper than our surroundings and is independent of feelings. The actions of those around us and our surroundings don't affect true joy. True joy, the kind that lasts, is that internal peace of knowing that God is in control. A feeling of contentment that ice cream can't provide. Our level of joy will fluctuate, but it can withstand suffering, pain, trials, illness, failure. None of those things are very compatible with happiness so I think people get angry with God when they happen. They believe God promises a life of happiness or that He “won't give us more than we can bear.” The truth is, the Bible doesn't promise either of those things. It tells us that there will be suffering and it will be hard, but God won't leave our side. As I've said many times, this experience has been much more than I could humanly bear, and I haven't always been happy or strong or felt very courageous. But I also haven't felt hopeless or alone and there's always been a peace. That's faith, that's an internal joy, that's grace and mercy from God.
Bumps in the road are bound to happen, there will be set-backs, I will hear depressing statistics like 19 out of 20 people with this disease don't make it, I will face frustrations, I will have days of unhappiness, but none of this can steal my joy if I continue to seek, trust and follow our Lord.
So, if any of you find yourself on an uncontrollable rollercoaster of life, bouncing in and out of disappointments and frustrations that seem to dominate your life, I'd challenge you to look deeper. Is it “happiness” that you're seeking, or true “joy”? Ask for it.
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you...” Matthew 7:7-8
“Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.” I Thes. 5:16-18
