Episode 013 - Marinating on 5 Lies of Happiness
Many of us are chasing happiness like children chase shadows. Happiness always seems just out of reach. But what if we’re thinking about happiness all wrong? In this episode, Derwin discusses five lies we often believe about happiness and shares the truth about what real happiness looks like.
Notes:
Get more info about Pastor Derwin’s new book, The Good Life: What Jesus Teaches About Finding True Happiness, here.
Trying to find lasting happiness is like chasing your shadow; what starts as childish fun erodes into adult frustration, failure, and disappointment.
God created us to be happy, but it’s not the happy you’re thinking about.
The pursuit of happiness is even written into the DNA of America. Way back in 1776, the Founding Fathers wrote in the Declaration of Independence: “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.”
There it is—the pursuit of happiness. The good life is ours for the taking if only we can catch it and keep it. But catching it is like chasing shadows. No matter how fast we run, it always seems to be just beyond our reach. After a while, we stop reaching and just settle.
The 5 Lies of Happiness:
I’ll be happy if I’m successful. We will never be successful enough, and our success will become our god.
I’ll be happy if I’m rich. I’m not saying it’s better to be poor, but money will not give you ultimate happiness because created things cannot fill a void that is in our hearts for the uncreated Creator. Instead of making us happy, it makes us greedy.
I’ll be happy if I find the right person. It’s not about finding the right person, it’s about becoming the right person. That’s actually what happiness is really about.
I’ll be happy if I’m beautiful. How beautiful is beautiful? Our quest for beauty will become our god and a false god never grows weary of asking you to do more and it’s never satisfied. Jesus calls us to rest.
I’ll be happy if I’m famous. If Jesus knowing your name is not enough, then the whole world knowing your name will never be enough.
Anything other than Jesus trying to be your god will only leave you insecure.
Nothing will separate us from the love of Christ.
In 2008, 4000 books were written on the topic of happiness, up from just 50 in 2001. “According to some measures, as a nation we’ve grown sadder and more anxious during the same years that the happiness movement has flourished,” wrote Carlin Flora of Psychology Today.
What If…
What if the happiness we are hustling after can never be caught?
What if the happiness we are running ourselves into physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion for is inferior to the happiness we’ve been made to experience?
What if created things were never meant to make us happy in the way we desire to experience happiness?
I believe the ancient Jewish people knew the secret to happiness. Marinate on the words to these two songs they would sing to God and to each other as a reminder of where happiness is found:
Happy are the people who know the joyful shout; Lord, they walk in the light from your face. They rejoice in your name all day long, and they are exalted by your righteousness. (Ps. 89:15–16)
You reveal the path of life to me; in your presence is abundant joy; at your right hand are eternal pleasures. (Ps. 16:11)
What if happiness is found by gazing into the face of God in Jesus Christ, and walking in his path of light, life, and righteousness?
Here is Jesus’ invitation for us to experience true happiness:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the humble, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs. “You are blessed when they insult you and persecute you and falsely say every kind of evil against you because of me. Be glad and rejoice, because your reward is great in heaven. For that is how they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (Matt. 5:3–12)
The happiness of God’s kingdom is not about perpetually feeling good or good things consistently happening to us. The Godkind-of-happiness expressed in the Beatitudes is about being good and becoming a person who images forth the character of Jesus into the world by the power of the Holy Spirit.
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