The Pursuit of Happiness????

I took down my previous post for today. It wasn't written from a place of passion, so I am trying again.

I don't write about world events in my blog, or at least not much, and I don't intend to start now, but I have been struck lately with how the present world situation causes me to be filled with anticipation (yes, anticipation, not anxiety). The shaking of so many things that people tend to trust in means that God's unshakeable Kingdom is becoming increasingly clear and compelling. I am thinking of how the shaking of all things has wonderfully hindered the "pursuit of happiness."

The pursuit of "happiness" (feeling good), which is the "be all and end all" of American culture (permeating the Church as well secular society) is becoming harder and harder in a world of increasing uncertainty. This is a good thing, a very good thing! Why? Because as J.P. Moreland points out in Kingdom Triangle, "there are more important things than being happy. There is a bigger meaning and larger purpose that should be our life's aim. We are wired for more than happiness. We are made to live for God's honor by learning how to become spiritually competent, mature members of His Kingdom and to make that Kingdom our primary concern." (pp. 24-25).

And now, with happiness and security in this present world becoming harder and harder to find, God's people are awakening to their larger destiny and purpose in His Kingdom. I cannot help but think that this is a time when God's people are finally going to awaken from their slumber, shake free of their enslavement to the empty values of western culture and begin to "shine like stars" like Paul said in Philippians 2:15.

The destruction of the pursuit of happiness as our primary goal is a kind and necessary gift from God. Listen to J.P. Moreland again as he describes what a primary goal of happiness does: "If you spend all your time trying to be happy, you end up focusing all your attention on yourself and how 'happy' you are and, as a result, you become a shriveled self who can't live for some larger cause. Your life will center on yourself and your moment-by-moment focus will be on how you feel inside. Your sole criterion for seeking a job, making friends, finding a spouse (or staying with a spouse!), and selecting a church will reduce to one overarching concern: How does this particular thing make me feel?" (Kingdom Triangle, p. 24). I think you can see here how such a goal conflicts with the culture of a Kingdom that starts with self-denial! And I daresay you also see in these words a hauntingly accurate description of how many "believers" live! How kind of Father to change all of that!

And no, God isn't opposed to joy, happiness, etc., and any who read this blog know I don't believe that. But I do strongly believe that God is more interested in our making right choices, living in the power of His love and Holy Spirit, than He is in our feeling good all the time. Dear ones, it's an illusion to think that in this life we will always be happy, avoid all pain, etc. And if that's true, which it most certainly is, then should we not answer God's call to live beyond ourselves for a Kingdom that cannot be shaken?

I close with a quote from Thomas Kelly (A Testament of Devotion, p. 71), written at another time when all in the world was shaking (the beginning of World War 2). "An awful solemnity is on the earth, for the last vestige of earthly security is gone. It has always been gone, but we haven't believed it."

And so as the world shakes and quivers, and our future in this present world grows more and more uncertain, I stand on tiptoes with anticipation, wondering when Jesus' people will become fully awakened! And I choose to start waking up now, asking Papa to enable me more than ever to trust only in Him, live to bring Him joy, and love from His love those who are still caught in the hopeless pursuit of happiness.

Anticipating joyfully,

One of Abba's children