Do you ever find yourself thinking that you will finally be content or happy when you can
acquire some desired object, or realize some special goal, only to realize when you reach that point that happiness still has eluded you?
Man’s quest for happiness has been in the wrong direction. He has mistakenly equated happiness with the pleasure found in material things. The material things which man acquires are temporary, and man by his very nature is seeking a state of permanence. Therefore, his quest for happiness has often ended in despair and anguish when his quest has been in the direction of materialism. The reason man has often failed to attain happiness is because he has failed to seek God. Man will never find contentment and ultimate happiness until he is at peace with God, his Creator. Man has been “designed” to find his purpose and happiness only in his Creator. Our lives must revolve around God and not our selfish personal desires. This is why people do not find happiness when they seek it by means of material things and pleasure. Just visit a restaurant and observe how many people bow their head in thanks to God before consuming their meal. Very few people do. The reason is most are too selfish and caught up in the materialistic life -style, which is so prevalent today. We were made for communion with God; for intimacy and closeness with Him. All of our joy, all of our peace, and all of our being finds fullness in a relationship with God. “Rejoice in the Lord alway: a n d a g a i n I s a y , R e - joice.” (Philippians 4:4) Scripture makes it clear that God is the ultimate source of happiness. Our problem is when we start seeking happiness in things that are secondary instead of primary. That’s where idolatry begins. We take things that God has made (which are in and of themselves good, intended for our benefit by God) and we make them what our life is all about. We elevate them to a place of lordship, and they become idols in our lives. God wants us to be happy and flourish, but the only way to seek after it in a way that fulfills our deepest need is found in aligning ourselves with God’s desire, and that is for us to serve and worship Him only. “Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.” (Psalm 37:4-5) The lasting happiness we all seek simply can not be found in worldly things—another dollar, another bottle, another bite. To find enduring peace and contentment, you must look beyond yourself and look unto God, your Creator.
Comments