Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, right? That is what is ingrained into our brains since 1st grade. We all strive to be happy, comfortable, and content with our lives. This goes for everyone; it is just part of being human. We all want to be happy and released from stress. If our lifelong pursuit as humans is happiness, what does it truly mean to achieve that or be content?
We are willing to sacrifice most things if not anything to be happy. Money, time, for some people it may even be relationships of any kind. Similarly, many people find happiness in a variety of places as well. Ranging from the short lived “happiness” found at the bottom of a bottle, to meditations and self-care, to more longer-term solutions starting a family, friendships and for most, religion.
For Christians, contentment and happiness is found in our dependence on Christ and Christ alone. In this context I am using happiness and contentment as two separate things. You can be happy and smile at everyday things and enjoy your life, but contentment meaning that you are satisfied, that there is nothing more that you could ask for to be better off.
Now in this quarantine, it is very easy for me to become sad, depressed even, with the lack of social interactions I used to have, to even driving around to places I enjoy for coffee or just people watching. A lot of things have been limited due to this pandemic and it really puts things in perspective, doesn’t it? If I knew I wouldn’t have seen my friends for this long, maybe I would’ve hugged longer, laughed harder, loved more.
So with all of that taken away that made me appreciate my life that God has given me, where should I find happiness today? What do I need in order to be content and happy for the long term?
Job is a prime example of dependence. He lost everything, a lot more than us today, and yet he is content with his life, and all due to the foundation of his life resting in God. After everything was taken away from him, the Bible says this:
“Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped. And he said, ‘Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.’ In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong.” -Job 1:20-22
Job’s initial reaction to his loss was not to complain or question God, but to rejoice in Him because that is who he leaned on in times of trouble. Whenever something tragic happens in our lives where do we go? Who or what do we turn to, to help cope with the sudden change in our lives? We need to turn to God.
I am not saying you shouldn’t be sad as a Christian who is dependent on God but know that God is in control and your life is in His hands and nothing can strip that away from Him. There is comfort in knowing that my life is not my own but belongs to someone who can use it better than I. Job knew that. He knew that everything will be okay because God is with him, holding him close.
True happiness and contentment is only found in God. Depending solely on God for everything alleviates the stress and worry that comes from this world. Our heart yearns for something more, as C.S. Lewis says, something that this earth cannot provide, so it is clear that my heart is made for another world.
We all deal with different insecurities, so our contentment may look different than someone else’s’. Someone who struggles with perfection may have a different comfort found in Jesus than someone who struggles with laziness, but nonetheless it always starts with God, with His steadfast love.
So, in these times of quarantine and loneliness, do not lose sight of God, do not lean on your own understanding but on the omnipotence of Christ our Lord, the maker of the Heavens and the Earth. It is easy to sink into sadness, so go do something you enjoy, keep your head up and enjoy the little things. Thank goodness we are blessed to have facetime and texting, the ability to still go on walks and enjoy the spring weather, whether it be April showers or May flowers. God is good, all the time, and all the time, God is good. Times like these are tough and discouraging but it will all be okay. There is not one thing that happens without God knowing it.
Part of the human condition is searching for happiness and the journey ends when we realize that God and his grace is sufficient for us no matter where we are in life. “This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”-Psalm 118:24
“Man was not originally made to mourn; he was made to rejoice. The Garden of Eden was his place of happy abode, and as long as he continued in obedience to God, nothing grew in that Garden that could cause him sorrow.” —Charles Spurgeon
“There is no man upon the earth who isn’t earnestly seeking after happiness, and it appears abundantly by the variety of ways they so vigorously seek it; they will twist and turn every way, play all instruments, to make themselves happy men.” —Jonathan Edwards
The Looking Glass Blog 