We live in a culture that tells us how happiness is secured. If you are an American, you might have grasped onto the myth of attaining the American Dream. Even if you are from Europe, Asia, Africa, or the South American continent, you’re probably well aware of the wealth in America and deep down inside wish you could have a piece of it too!
When I was growing up in Asia, refugee children would refuse to speak in their native tongue because they wanted to learn a little English from me as we played together. They had caught what they had been taught. They would be successful if they learned to speak English and attend an American university.
We are all affected by our culture.
David Secured Happiness!
We can learn so much from David who penned Psalm 4 because he demonstrated contentment and true happiness as he cried out to God in his distress.
David was continually pursued by his real-to-life enemies and the psalms he wrote reflected battles of daily living. I have battles in my life but they have never been against an actual enemy armed for the fight.
Sometimes my ‘battles’ have been over situations that our family has faced. I can never look at my husband or children and think of them as being my enemies.
. . . But sometimes we mistakenly think our enemy is our husband or children!
As you read through Psalms, you can relate as you face giants and demons trying to destroy our relationships in real life.
There is nothing the enemy of our soul would want more than to destroy our relationships and leave us defeated in our faith.
Some of my children have chosen not to walk with the Lord but as long as I keep my eyes on Jesus, I will pray for them for the rest of my life and live in victory.
I will be faithful to God even if no one else goes with me on my journey to heaven.
We Have an Emotional Hunger
If you were to walk into a bookstore, you might see many books on how to have your happiness secured. In fact, there are many You Tube videos sharing the same message of how to attain wealth and happiness. Those You Tubers show their life by their fine houses and attractive celebrity lifestyle as if that was where happiness was found.
The sad things are how many wealthy people find emptiness in their possessions and lifestyle. History has shown how many have ended their lives through suicide because they never found what they were looking for.
We are starving for happiness.
If happiness is not secured in wealth, possessions, relationships, physical fitness, and a lifestyle or affluence, where are we to find it?
When is the alarm going to sound so we wake up and realize that the American Dream is not where we will ever secure our happiness?
Isaiah warned anyone who might oppose the Lord by saying:
As when a hungry man dreams, and behold, he is eating,
and awakes with his hunger not satisfied,
or as when a thirsty man dreams, and behold, he is drinking,
and awakes faint, with his thirst not quenched,
so shall the multitude of all the nations be
that fight against Mount Zion. Isaiah 29:8
Are You Alive to Be Happy?
Whether you are alive to be happy or not depends on if you are seeking empty happiness or one that is secure.
God gave you a heart so that you could find true and lasting contentment in Him. But we have a heart that tends to be unfaithful and that leans towards all this world offers.
When you have a heart that finds total contentment in Jesus, you will find a happiness that is secure forever. It is lasting happiness that is secured in Jesus.
Your heart will be full and satisfied.
Whether you live for 80 years or only 18, God has placed in your heart enough potential that the highest-paid celebrities and highest-paid businesswomen will never find. All their accomplishments will be forgotten and probably before you even reach the end of your life.
Trust the Lord and embrace what He has called you to do.
It doesn’t matter if your story is never told here on earth. If it never makes it to Instagram stories, that’s alright.
Your story of happiness is secured in heaven and will be told forever and ever if you are faithful to Jesus. If you lived your life for the glory of God, following His calling on your life, your story will make it into the testimonies that will forever be told.
How Your Happiness is Secured
Our culture tells us that your happiness is about YOU.
There is so much out there on ‘Me Time’ and ‘Loving Yourself’ that has it all wrong! Life is not about you!
Life is about God and living for Him and others.
When you live for yourself there is something all backwards. Sure we tend to love ourselves. I have no doubt about that.
There is nothing wrong with self-care to a point. I mean, it’s not a good idea to neglect your shower, especially if you’re married.
We need to be our best for others.
But when all this carries over into expectations of self-centeredness, it will produce narcissism instead of Christ-centeredness.
If you want to be happy, give your life to the reason that God gave life to you.
He knit you together so perfectly in your mother’s womb (Psalm 139:16) so that every muscle and cell in your body could live for His glory. That is the whole purpose for your life.
Whatever you are doing with your life, that is the ultimate purpose of why you do it. I’m not saying to think you are on the wrong path.
What I am saying is to live for God and others IN what you are doing, right WHERE you’re AT!
God Knows
God knows what you are doing on this very day IN this moment of history. He cares about what you are going through.
He hears when you cry out to Him in prayer.
You have put more joy in my heart
than they have when their grain and wine abound.
In peace I will both lie down and sleep;
for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety. Psalm 4:7-8
Don’t trade the happiness that this world offers you for the peace and joy that are yours for being faithful to God. The only place where you will ever find true happiness is secured for the faithful is when you begin to fulfill the purpose for which you were made.
You will sleep differently instead of always looking for something more. Happiness is not found by filling your life with things that bring emptiness.
Your soul will find the deepest rest in Jesus.
Have you secured the deepest happiness in Jesus? What resonated most about finding happiness secured because you were faithful?
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