Monday
The French mathematician and philosopher Blaise Paschal once said, “All men seek happiness. This is without exception. Whatever different means they employ, they all tend to this end. The cause of some going to war, and of others avoiding it, is the same desire in both, attended with different views. The will never takes the least step but to this object. This is the motive of every action of every man, even of those who hang themselves.”
Paschal is not the only one who held this view, Aristotle, Augustine and Aquinas (just to name a few of the A’s) all held similar views. It doesn’t require too much philosophical insight to recognize the fact we all instinctively pursue that which we believe will make us happy.
If you need a little more evidence that this is the case, just look at the first few lines of our country’s Declaration of Independence. “We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, and that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” Did you hear that? It is our right to pursue our own happiness!
The question is, how does the pursuit of our own happiness fit with the Christian life? Does becoming a Christian mean that you will have to choose between God’s will for your life, and your own happiness?
I think there is a very real tendency among many people to believe that either God is somehow going to restrict or get in the way of my happiness (or) that God’s primary agenda is to make me happy. Both of these views are wrong.
Some may object to this by saying “Doesn’t God’s Word say that He wants to bless His children? I have often heard people use verses like Jeremiah 29:11 to defend this idea, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Prosperity, security, and hope for the future, that certainly sounds like God wants me to be happy.
Yes & No…Yes, God’s Word does say that He desires to bless His children. He wants good things for our lives. However, God’s desire to bless us is not necessarily the same as what we think will make us happy.
The critical distinction is in what I place first in my life; my happiness, or the will of God (they are not always in alignment in our hearts). Many people approach the Christian faith by asking, “Is this working for me?” “Is Christianity helping me? Is it making me happy?” In this approach, faith gets reduced to how happy we feel. We actually end up placing ourselves in a position of evaluating God based on how well He (God) is doing at meeting our needs.
Here is the plain truth – God’s agenda is neither to destroy your happiness, nor to ensure it…God’s agenda is about something much, much bigger.
God’s agenda is about His Glory!
This is the primary agenda in everything God does. The Bible continually speaks about this truth.
Psalm 19:1 - The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Psalm 29:2 - Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness.
Psalm 108:5 - Be exalted, O God, above the heavens, and let your glory be over all the earth.
Isaiah 40:5 - And the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all mankind together will see it. For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”
Isaiah 60:19 - The sun will no more be your light by day, nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you, for the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory.
Jeff Frazier
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3 comments:
amen and amen!
We listened to this sermon at the Worship Cafe yesterday Jeff. We discussed it and kept going back to the question....'and what does that look like when played out in our lives?' How do we take that concept from the abstract into the practical and apply it to our lives? What does that mean for our prayers? Is there still a small place where we can ask God for help in making our lives a little easier right here and now if we were only created to Glorify Him? Struggling with this.....
Dear Anonymous from the Worship Cafe,
That is a very good question. I don't want you to think that making the glory of God your focus means that you cannot come to Him with our requests or needs. the Bible clearly tells us to do so.
Phil. 4:6, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God."
The real issue is how we view God and our relationship with Him. If the glory of God is the source of our joy, then while we may ask God for His guidance, comfort, provision, etc. our faith is not shaken if we do not get the answer we desire.
For example - if you had a friend who always seemed to want something from you, and they only called or reached out to you when they needed something, you would likely begin to feel that your relationship was pretty one-sided, and that perhaps they really did not value you, but only what you could do for them when they were in need. A true friend just wants to be around you because they value you for you, they enjoy being with you, they love you.
I hope this helps you
God Bless!
JF
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