Why You're Not Happy

Happiness is something that can easily be defined by a dictionary, however it seems to be a different thing entirely to actually (and permanently) experience. We spend countless hours on vacations, at parties, playing video games, watching movies, fiddling with our smart phones, hanging out with friends, and whatever else we can find that we think will bring us happiness. We play Angry Birds, Call of Duty, Farmville, Solitaire, slow pitch softball, bowling leagues, and fantasy sports. We pursue boyfriends, girlfriends, best friends, close friends, family, spouses, and children. We seek fulfillment and happiness from all kinds of relationships. We work and study our way to a degree that will put us in a position to make a fair amount of money so we can afford vacations, 4-wheelers, new cars, nice homes, big TVs, and the latest electronics. All of this is done in our pursuit of happiness. Only to discover that all of these things we pursue turn out to come up short of totally satisfying us. No wonder we are doped up with anti-depressants. So what is the answer?

I believe that deep in the heart of every person there is a fundamental longing for true and lasting joy. We have been created by a happy, joyful, and exuberant God. The Bible tells us that God was satisfied with what He created, delights in the praise of His people,and ultimately was "well pleased" in His Son, Jesus Christ. So we have a happy God who created people with the deep desire to be happy. Unfortunately we live in a world of depression, anxiety, brokenness and pain. Where did we go wrong? Where I believe we have veered off course is that we have delighted in other things except for God. We have "exchanged" the truth of a happy God who desires to satisfy us with an intimate knowledge of Him, for the lie that His desire is to keep us from joy by making us follow a strict and overbearing list of "do's &don'ts". We have bought into the idea that God is an angry and condescending tyrant who will strike you down just for whistling. So what is the solution?

Read Psalm 16.11, "You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore." God has proven Himself as the only eternal and satisfying source of joy. Where do we find this joy? In His presence. Have you been battling unhappiness? Have been growing weary of the pursuit of temporary satisfaction? Let me be clear, I am not saying that if you forsake the deceiving pleasures of sin and pursue holiness in God, you will always be in happy situations. That is simply not rue. You will however, be able to look beyond those trying times, to a day in which you will no more be pursuing God, you will have Him right before you. The deep longing of every man's soul is realized in the presence of God. Abandon your pursuit of happiness, and take up a real pursuit of the happy God.