Life’s Goal

In His Name Devotionals
LIFE'S GOAL

“Incline my heart to Your testimonies, And not to covetousness. Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things, And revive me in Your way.” (Psalm 119:36-37 NKJV)

Have you ever thought or said, “I’ll be happy when (this or that) happens.” It’s sometimes easy to connect happiness with events or possessions. However, when you think back, how long did it last? Often it’s gone as quickly as it came.

Is our greatest desire in life to be happy? A recent USA Today survey of high school juniors and seniors confirmed that happiness ranked above fame, wealth or any other human desire.

Early in His ministry, Jesus taught people to be happy when they were persecuted, and in His time those who identified with Jesus suffered real persecution up to and including death. “Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you” (Matt. 5:12). Even Jesus is described as a man of sorrow. How can happiness come from sorrow? Temporal pleasures are empty and lead to the never ending search, like any addiction. I believe God allows us to be under pressure to break down our self dependence, to make out hearts tender and to lead us to Him for strength.

We may long for a change in circumstances and sometimes that’s what we get. Unfortunately, changing circumstances will not change us. God does not lift us out of the darkness—He becomes the light in the darkness.

That’s the key to the “happy” Christian life that sometimes seems just around the corner. Happiness is not the goal of life—Godliness is.