As I talk with people day after day, it's so obvious everyone is dealing with something. And, in their dealing with whatever challenge they face, everyone responds differently. Standing for a marriage, a healing, salvation of loved ones—all of these take a lot of determination and strength. A combination of faith and obedience is necessary in order to handle what we feel with our emotions and what we see with our eyes. It's so easy to get caught up in "feelings"; they ultimately turn the focus on US rather than on God and what His purpose is for us in the call to stand in faith on His promises to us.
There comes a time when we finally have to give it all over to God and just focus on pursuing our relationship with Christ, raising our children, making a home for them, etc. This, unfortunately, is an important part of any stand: letting go and letting God do the work that it's so obvious we cannot do on our own. We can't change the hearts of our husbands, we can't change the progression of disease, or the eternal destiny of a loved one ... only God can. But, we CAN change our own hearts as we learn to conform to the will of God.
There is a statement, however, that I've heard so many Christians use—something that is simply not true. Our unhappiness leads us to somehow believe that God wants us to be happy. We map out our own futures based on our belief that God doesn't expect us to live in unhappy circumstances. This often leads us to do and say things that ultimately focus on US rather than on the reality of our Christlikeness.
God never, never, never in His Word made any effort to make His people "happy". Our happiness is never guaranteed and it's certainly not a promise of God we can stand on as we set the course of our lives.
On the contrary, "happiness" is a state of mind that comes from contentment. And contentment is what God wants for us—not in our circumstances, but in Him and His ability to provide for us everything we need that pertains to life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3). God is the only One who can truly satisfy. He is the only One who can give us true contentment.
The Apostle Paul learned this through his life—he learned to be content in whatever circumstances of life he found himself in.
Phil 4:11-13
"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. I can do everything through him who gives me strength."
No matter what Paul went through, he found contentment which is really what we're searching for—it's what we call "happiness" or "joy". Paul also made another powerful statement through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit:
James 1:2-8 (KJV)
"My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways."
Be careful to read every word of that scripture because it tells us what happens when we fail to find joy (peace and contentment) in our circumstances … we become a double-minded man, wavering, and unable to receive anything from the Lord.
God never guaranteed Adam or Eve happiness. He never guaranteed Abraham happiness. He never guaranteed Moses, or David, or Isaiah, or the prophets, or the apostles that they would live a life of happiness. But He DID promise that He would satisfy their every longing—that He would provide for them what their soul longed for. He promised He would lead them and never forsake them. He promised He would give them joy unspeakable and full of glory—if they would obey His Word. This is not equivalent to the earth's "happiness"; this is an ETERNAL joy that has no bearing on whether or not we get what we want, have what we want, or find what we are so desperately searching for.
1 John 1:1-4 (KJV)
"That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full."
What makes our joy full? Fellowship with the Father and His Son Jesus Christ, the Word of Life—the Life manifested and bearing witness in us through the eternal life which has been given to us as children of the Most High God.
Joy, happiness, and contentment are guaranteed us in Christ, not that we attain positions or possessions, but that we find peace in Christ Jesus who gave His all that we might find satisfaction in Him to the point that nothing else in life matters—not marital bliss, not pain-free life, not even the salvation of a loved one. And, when we come to that point, we can let go of all that matters and let God do as He wills because we have already found what we seek after – true joy and contentment.
If we can't find that place in God, our lives will continue to be miserable and wretched as we continue to seek after that which was never promised to us. Don't set your goal in natural happiness or in satisfaction from things on this earth. We are eternal creatures, living but a short span of time on this earth in order that our eternal joy may be full. It's a small price to pay, even if we life to be 100 – it's nothing compared to eternity.
So, let go of the idea that God wants you happy. God wants you established in His kingdom, fulfilling His purposes in you and through you. This is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.
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© 2007 Jan Ross
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