As most of you know by now, in addition to writing devotionals, I also like to comment on the messages our culture is sending us and point out why these messages are unbiblical. Since last season, I've been a somewhat avid follower of "American Idol." During "Hollywood Week" (a week of auditions in Hollywood) this year, a certain Sheryl Crow song kept popping up over and over again in various auditions, unfortunately getting stuck in my head as a consequence. The song is called "If it Makes you Happy," and it is a horrible yet catchy song with a very flawed message. I don't know the words to the song, but am unfortunately familiar with the chorus (which is playing over and over again in my head) which states, "If it makes you happy, then it can't be that bad." Do you think this is true?Hearing this song made me think about America's obsession with "the pursuit of happiness." Is this a biblical pursuit? In a recent study called "The Paradox of Declining Female Happiness," researchers have discovered that women are very unhappy in our present age, though we are much more advanced than ever before. Books and articles are being written on the subject of becoming happy, with authors offering advice for women on their own pursuits of happiness. In The Happiness Project, author Gretchen Rubin tells women that happiness comes from "de-cluttering," "trying not to nag," "tackling a new skill," and "imitating a spiritual master." Mirelle Guiliano writes in the book Women, Work, and the Art of Savoir Faire, that women should use cloth napkins, wear a light, fresh scent, and own a little black dress (among other things). Seems like pretty frivolous stuff, doesn't it? I mean, if the goal of life is to be happy, and happiness comes from wearing perfume and a cute dress, then you've got a pretty pointless life! Isn't there a lot more to life than this?
I have heard so many young people say to me, "I just think God wants me to be happy." Is this thought found anywhere in Scripture? I've said it once, and I'll say it again...we need to be very, very careful that the philosophies we are buying into are actually from Scripture and not from pop culture. "I think God wants me to be happy" may sound good in theory, but we need to examine if this is actually from the Bible or not.
There is absolutely nothing in the Bible that says that God wants you to be happy or that your goal or right in life is the pursuit of happiness. Lots of things, good and bad, can make someone happy, but that certainly doesn't mean we should do them! It may make someone happy to seek revenge on an enemy, to have sex outside of marriage, to go to wild parties, to spend money on materialistic non-necessities...but clearly that doesn't make it OK to do these things. Sin is fun for a season and will often make you temporarily happy. However, God is more concerned with your holiness than your happiness. Pursuing happiness is a very selfish endeavor and leads to a very empty and purposeless life.
Though the Bible doesn't talk about happiness, it does talk about contentment and joy. What's the difference? In Philippians 4:11-12, Paul says, "I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want." Happiness is based on circumstance, but contentment is not affected by your situation. Christians need to come to a point where they are at peace and completely satisfied and fulfilled in Christ alone. He is all they need, bringing them to a point in which they can remain content no matter what happens to them. They know God is sovereign and that His will is being accomplished, though they may still experience a lot of suffering and unhappiness in their lives.
Joy is also not based on circumstance, because it comes from the Holy Spirit (Gal 5:22). Happiness comes from temporary circumstances in this world, but joy comes from the Lord, and you can experience it no where else in this world! Why do you often see lost people seek pleasure after pleasure in their lives? They're continually looking for happiness and lack the joy that comes from a right relationship with Jesus. As soon as the pleasure of one thrill wears off, they start looking for something else to make them happy...it's a vicious cycle. Because joy is from God and has nothing to do with our present situation, Christians are able to have joy in the midst of suffering and trials. Going through affliction will definitely not make you happy, but you can experience the joy of knowing that God is working and using those trials for His glory.
In Will Smith's movie, The Pursuit of Happiness, his character works hard to bring his family from a point of despair and poverty to a point of success. He gets a great job and is able to give his son the kind of life he hadn't been able to give him previously. The message is that Americans have the right to work hard in order to achieve happiness for themselves. This is such a flawed and deceptive idea. The happiness you can obtain from wealth, material possessions, and even loved ones will soon wear off. Nothing can give you lasting happiness, and only God can bring you joy and contentment...something eternal and much more precious than any temporary pleasure.
Have you bought into the dangerous lie that life is about your happiness? Remember that life is about God's glory, not about your pleasure. Following the Lord will bring you the kind of joy and satisfaction that you can never experience elsewhere, but it definitely won't be smooth sailing all of the time. You may have to sacrifice certain things, and you will certainly experience suffering and persecution like Jesus did. However, there is no greater joy than being a Christ-follower~
