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Sep 07

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witty title

Mon 07 Sep 2009 20:54:31 | 0 comments

I kind of want to try posting here. Mostly because I want those activity points...... ;) just kidding. I'm just reposting something that was on my actual blog, with a few edits. I wrote this a month or two ago, during the summer.

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So our summer community group is going over John Piper's message about how Christians should actively seek happiness. The main point:

"Christians should seek as much happiness as they can."

Sounds like an interesting thing to say right? This statement seems really hedonistic and unChristian. But that's only if you equate happiness with worldly pleasure (money, sex, drugs, achievement, etc). I guess it would actually be FAKE happiness. But if you equate happiness with the righteousness and glory of God... then it makes sense that not only should you seek happiness, but it should be your life's mission to do so. In serving God, we put our satisfaction in Him and Him alone.

Our Community Group leader asked us what we thougth of the statement. One person said it was encouraging to know that being Christian doesn't mean a life of suffering, but a life of finding true happiness, that God is not out to make you miserable but to help you find eternal bliss in Him. It made sense and I think her answer was the general consensus of everyone. I couldn't think of why I thought the statement was discouraging at the time, and by the time I thought it out our meeting was already over... I'm such a slow thinker. SIGH.

But what I was thinking was that... the statement itself wasn't discouraging per se, but it was really daunting to see how far we've missed the mark in trying to find happiness. It should be really obvious that, if we cling to God, we'll be happy.... He's God! Yet I cling to other things/people, which either I know will ultimately failed me, or have already failed me. Why is it so hard? Isn't it EASIER to cling to God, who will take care of everything? Why do I insist on making life more miserable for myself? I know that God and only God will make me happy, so why do I act otherwise?

I think, for me, I can say that I believe that putting my trust and faith in God will bring me happiness. Maybe somewhere I really do believe it. Yet my body acts differently. My actions do not justify my words. I find myself more willing to trust in everything else. Isn't that silly? It's that weird difference between knowing the truth and believing in it that always gets me.

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