Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness

"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.

Spring is in the Air!

Despite the remaining bits of snowdrifts and melting snowmen around town, I have sensed Spring in the air lately. It is evidenced by the more frequent chirping of birds - including the ones trying to make a nest in my garage, once again, this year. I've also noticed more sunshine this past week. All of this has gotten me thinking about the "Spring" that is about to take place in me. God has been doing an amazing work in my heart lately. I am seeing some of the frozen walls of ice I had let build up over this past season of "Winter" start to melt. I feel alive again. I can't wait to see the coming show of blossoms that is on its way in a literal and quite figurative way.

I am reminded of of the man described in Psalm 1:3. It says that:

"He is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither.
Whatever he does prospers."

I want to be planted by the One who called himself the "Living Water" and promised that he who drinks from it will thirst no more (see John 4:13 and John 7:37-38).