We Were Not Created to Be Happy (Guest Post)
The last two Wednesday night’s at Bible Study, Mrs. Laurel has been talking about marriage. That is a weird topic for someone like me, who is divorced and single. I do hope to be remarried one day though, so I went and took plenty of notes. This whole topic is what jumped out at me last night. A LOT of marriages end because someone “Isn’t happy.” Well, guess what? You weren’t created to be happy anyway! Mrs. Laurel said, “Happiness is a by-product of what God created us to BE, not DO. When you make happiness your purpose, you don’t feel like it’s enough once you reach it.” Happiness is based on circumstances. That’s why it doesn’t last. It can go away quickly. For example, maybe you want a new rug for your home, or new shoes, or to be a certain weight, or to have your hair a certain way, or spicy Chic-Fil-A nuggets, or the latest tech gadget…. you just KNOW you’ll be happy when that happens. Right? Wrong! Once you get whatever it is you think will make you happy, you almost immediately start thinking about the next thing that will make you happy. What we should be striving for is JOY! Joy is a fruit of the Spirit. Joy is actually already inside of you if you are a Christ follower. It’s not one of the things that God gives to certain people. Gifts and fruits of the Spirit are two different things. In my Christine Caine devotional book “Living Life […]
