"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." This excerpt taken from our Declaration of Independence declares that the pursuit of happiness is one of our inalienable rights endowed by our Creator, yet happiness seems to elusive to many of us. According to one world study on happiness, the United States ranked 46th in terms of overall happiness. Another study measures happiness by state. It was sad to note that Indiana, my home state, ranked 40th out of 51 states measured (they included the District of Columbia). The states that ranked in the top 3 were Nebraska, Iowa, and Kansas. And despite the claim that "happy cows come from California", apparently happy people don't. California ranked dead last.
The question then begs to be asked, "Why are we as humans always seeking and never finding happiness?" Just last weekend I was at our Middle School Swimming and Diving Conference with my son. He was one of the divers representing our school among a total of 21 divers from 7 different schools. He ending up taking 2nd place in the boys competition and his score ranked him 2nd among all the divers there. After the awards presentation he brought me his ribbon and with a disappointed look on his face he said, "I didn't get a medal. You only get those for first place." He is like so many of us. We let our never ending quest for more steal the joy we should be feeling over where we are at. Why is it that we always want the one thing we can't have?
I submit to you that it is because our souls are empty. We attempt to feed our souls with things that cannot nourish them and then wonder why we aren't satisfied. We are on a quest for things that satisfy our physical beings but leave us in spiritual poverty. I recently read a quote from C.S. Lewis in a book we are reading together at church. It said, "You don't have a soul. You are a soul. You have a body." If this is the case then we are trying to cater to what we have - not who we are. I know all too well the trap of trying to find happiness in many pursuits such as food, money, clothing, possessions, popularity, beauty treatments, praise from others, and the list goes on. None of them have left me feeling content or happy.
The only food I have found for my soul that brings me contentment is my creator. Jesus said that he is the Bread of Life, the Living Water, and the Way, the Truth, and the Life. How can we expect to find life from anything or anyone other than the Author of Life Himself?
What is it that you have been pursuing that isn't satisfying your soul? Seek after your creator. He longs to fellowship with you. He longs to fill you so that your soul will never hunger and thirst again.
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Congratulations on starting a blog, Kristina, especially one with such an unselfish motive. My mother always says, "I hate that word, 'happy.' There's no such thing as 'happiness.' She believes in God, but I think deep down she doesn't believe she deserves happiness (and maybe she thinks no one else does, either). I do think happiness is possible. Like you've said, we just haven't trained ourselves to recognize it.
ReplyDeleteIn some ways, I see her point. I think happiness is an attainable goal but it is an emotion. Emotions come and go. On the other hand, there is contentment which can remain regardless of your circumstances. It doesn't change with our feelings like happiness does. The question of whether we deserve happiness has given me a new idea for another post. I'll have to work on it. Thanks for reading my blog. I saw that you use wordpress. Is it better? This was the only blogging site I knew of when I decided to get started (with the exception of Twitter) which I still don't quite "get".
ReplyDeleteGreat post. I've been thinking a lot about happiness and my state in it is up and down. Jesus fills my soul-no doubt about that--but for me I get caught up in dealing with other unhappy people (at work) who end up making me unhappy until I can get away from them. Then I'm unhappy at having to go back to work and "deal" with them again. If it was once in a while, it wouldn't be so bad, but it is day after day, 8 hours a day. And I've worked enough jobs to know that this one isn't as bad as the ones I've had before. It isn't great, but it could be worse. I keep trying to remind myself that I'm blessed to have a job, I'm helping to support my family, just be content in that. Deep down I don't think I'm unhappy, but I AM unhappy about my circumstances that I cannot change at this time. No other opportunities have opened for me and in the meantime I MUST have this job.
ReplyDeleteJennifer,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your compliment on my post. I am honored that you stopped by to read it and to take time to comment. I am praying that God will grant you the desires of your heart so you can be doing what he has wired you to do in the place where he wants you to do it. In the mean time, consider what his mission for you is in the place where you are. Perhaps he wants to use you to influence the negative people you are around.
Begin to pray for them. Start with the one who drives you crazy the most. Ask God to give you a glimpse of that person the way he sees them. What is going on in their life that makes them so negative? Make it your mission to try to understand them better, then figure out how you can serve them and show them the love of Christ. Negative people are usually hurting people.
Most importantly, be sure to take time by yourself at the beginning of the day to "fill yourself up". Let God remind you who you are to him and how much he loves you. Be reminded that he loved you so much that while you were still dead in your transgressions he made you alive in Christ. Psalm 18 says he rescues us because he delights in us. You are royalty in God's kingdom. Those who are in Christ have the assurance of who we are and of our value if we listen to what God says about us in his Word.
On another note, your name reminds me of Hudson Taylor the famous missionary to China who changed the face of missions. Like Hudson Taylor, he wants to use you to reach out to lost and hurting people. Be reminded that whatever you do you are doing it as for the Lord. You are his representative here on earth.
I am sure none of the things I have said are new to you but sometimes we just need someone to remind us of the things we know and spur us on. By the way, congratulations on your book coming out in May! I intend to look for it and purchase a copy. Perhaps this is only the beginning of something new for you.