In today’s world, it’s easy to believe that happiness is the ultimate goal of life. We’re bombarded with messages that tell us that our happiness is the most important thing, and that we should do whatever it takes to achieve it. Even in Christian circles, we can fall into the trap of believing that God just wants us to be happy. But is this really true? Why aren’t we always happy?
The Father of Lies
The Bible tells us that Satan is the father of lies and that there is no truth in him. He comes to steal, kill, and destroy. His goal is not our happiness but to undermine God’s good work in creation. When he deceived Eve in the Garden of Eden, he didn’t care about the fruit. He cared about planting a seed of doubt in her heart about God’s goodness and intentions.
The Lie – A Lie About Us and God – Does God Really Want Us to Be Happy?
When we fall prey to one of Satan’s lies, we’re not just believing that lie. We’re actually believing a deeper lie about the character of God and about who He created us to be. The lie that God just wants us to be happy is a lie about us and a lie about God.
This lie tells us that our needs are the most important thing and that God exists to serve us and meet our needs. But before we move on with our day, we need to pause and invite God to reveal our blind spots.
The Truth – God Will Never Leave You or Forsake You
God doesn’t promise us comfort, ease, wealth, status, or stuff. What He does promise is that through the good times and the hardest times, He will never leave you or forsake you (Deuteronomy 31:8). He promises an incomprehensible peace, an unfailing love, and His provision for our real needs. Satan lies, but God speaks truth. He is a promise-keeper.
Believing the Truth
The all-consuming desire within humanity is to live life to the fullest while we still can. Our sin and Satan’s lies twist those pursuits and focus us on all the wrong things. We think that what makes us happy is what’s best, but often we’re pursuing things outside of God’s will.
God’s way is best, but it requires us to surrender control, comfort, and sin. We’re promised that it leads to abundance, even though it’s hard.
Living the Truth
When we choose to pursue God instead of our own personal happiness, we actually experience a permanent happiness called joy. Joy is a deep contentment, confidence, and hope that is based not on our temporary circumstances, but on the permanence of God’s character. Living in pursuit of happiness is aiming too low.
We have a God-shaped void that expresses itself as a longing for happiness. But nothing in this world can promise happiness. A perfect God promises to love us, comfort us, forgive us, strengthen us, and walk with us through every high and every low. He will be enough.
Pursuing an Abundant, Joyful Life
The lie that God just wants us to be happy is a dangerous one. It’s a lie about us and a lie about God. When we choose to believe the truth found in the words of Jesus, we experience a lasting joy that can only come from a right relationship with God. Instead of living in pursuit of happiness, let’s pursue God and experience the abundant life He has promised us.
Find Lasting Joy
Finding lasting joy comes from a deeper relationship with God and allowing Him to speak hope and encouragement into your life. Want to strengthen your relationship with God and learn how to hear his voice more clearly? Download our free guide to hearing God’s voice more clearly.
