The common philosophy for a happy life: be $uccessful in your career, be in love, and be popular on facebook. The secret to the self-confidence you have always wanted is: have a perfect weight, perfect hair, and wear the latest styles from Hollister and Abercrombie. To sum it up- what you need to look like is someone who just jumped out of the latest fad magazine. You look great! You should be happy! Take it, run with it, and live your life to the fullest.
In this present age, nothing is more valued and sought after than the things that "make you happy". And is there ever an endless amount of things out there that seemingly make us happy. Whether its money, materials, people, food, drugs... all of these things do bring us some amount of pleasure. But maintaining the euphoria of any of these pleasures is something that is quite hard to do. Not long after we relish in our limited state of delight, we find that it is over and all we can do is seek after something else to fulfill our quest for happiness. So the search continues.
Going from one delight to another to sustain your enjoyment is not only a continuous pursuit, it is an endless one. There is no such thing as nirvana.
You might be thinking, "That's just life!” After all, aren't we all seeking to be happy anyways? Isn't that the American Dream? But what's the point if this objective doesn't last. Shouldn't a prize worth fighting for be at least something that endures? Well, let me let you in on a little secret: your happiness does not last because the things making you happy do not last. Money, materials, people, food, drugs, and whatever else has fooled you into thinking you have discovered happiness- will not give you an enduring gratification because they can't. Everything in the earth grows old like a piece of clothing. Nothing that can be grasped will last. All things tangible will cease to be, and in like manner the enjoyment that comes from them.
In short, happiness that comes from outside sources is not worth fighting for. It's a waste of time and that is something you have very little of. However, there is something much greater than that fleeting happiness that is worth fighting for. In a lot of ways, it's similar the happiness we have been discussing. From it you get pleasure, enjoyment, excitement, fulfillment, and contentment. It runs deep within you and flourishes. It's called joy. Unlike false happiness, joy does not come from anything you do on your own. Only the One True God can give you this everlasting joy. Once you are freed from the pain, guilt, and condemnation of sin, a joy that surpasses all understanding is given to you. You become alive! Even when trials and tribulations come upon you, you still possess an overflowing and abundance of joy. Psalms 16:11- "Thou wilt show me the path of life: in Thy presence is fullness of joy; at Thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore." Jesus gives to us what we need that our "joy may be full". And what we need is forgiveness. There is nothing we have done that is good before the eyes of a holy God. "I cursed His name, He called me child. I was to blame, He went to trial." He bore on Himself all of my iniquities- sins that I have committed against Him- and He has washed them all away! Because of that I am so joyful! My heart is overflowing with an unspeakable amount of joy! Even when I am mourning, I still have joy. Joy is always there because my Lord is always near.
In the book of Ecclesiastes, King Solomon wrote that "all is vanity". He had everything he ever wanted, and still he recognized that it was all worthless. The world will pass away and all the lusts thereof. Until you trust in Christ to redeem you, you will have no true happiness and no joy.
"Lift your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth beneath: for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment, and they that dwell therein in like manner: but my salvation shall be forever, and my righteousness shall never be abolished." Isaiah 51:6
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