Yesterday, I was chatting with one of the pastors at my church~ one of the many perks of my job is that I am surrounded by them! She and I began by discussing our weekend and the movies we watched which led to morality which led to an idea she and I have discussed before. Where did the notion come from that we deserve happiness at any cost?
The secular world is full of people who justify their poor choices with this hypothetical belief… “I deserve to be happy.” The secular world doesn’t come to a halt at church doors, either. The secular world walks in every Sunday morning and sits in front of ministers and pastors, sometimes racked with guilt and sometimes masked in absolution. Fundamentally good people enveloped in disobedience.
Yes, God wants us to be happy but He is far more interested in us being joyful and following His word. I am guilty. When my circumstances have been “unhappy” at multiple times in my life, it was as though someone flipped the light switch and changed all of the rules. I could seek “happiness” through all kinds of destructive decisions and be justified. Brilliant!
Then one day, I woke up and realized those decisions never made me happy.. not for long, anyway. They certainly didn’t bring me joy. Some of the unhappiest people I know are people who are seeking happiness in all of the wrong places.
It can be difficult to swallow the fact that God is not most interested in our comfort, but more interested in our character. ~Zoe Elmore
On the other hand, I know many people who “get it”. They see their circumstances and despite the discomfort, they see it through and usually find joy on the other side. There is real joy in knowing you’ve done the right thing. Some of you who read this blog knew me when poor decisions were my only decisions…there was that time. And some of you know who I am today ~ a woman who seeks to avoid those decisions by keeping my eyes on character, true joy and morality. Not always successful in His eyes but always aspiring.
I don’t expect that this tiny blog will change your mind about something in your life that is self fulfilling and/or immoral but I do speak in complete love when I tell you this….Been there, done that. Maybe not the exact decisions you may have made or thought about but something as destructive. There will not be joy there. There will not be any of the things you are hoping to find. I’m just trying to save you some time. I’m just sayin’.
~Amy