If you were to ask the average person on the street, "What do you want out of time for you and your children?" Most people answer, "I just want to be happy!" Even our Bill of Rights declare that man has an "unalienable right" to be happy. We are all familiar with the phrase "...and the pursuit of happiness." And it appears that most people are spending an enormous amount to time and energy in their pursuit of happiness.
This pursuit of happiness even carries over to the spiritual realm. We would never say it but we think God's major role in our lives is to see that be are happy. But unfortunately, that is not true. I know it sounds almost heretical that God's goal for us in not happiness. God is more interested in our holiness than our happiness. God's intent for us is to be Christ like. Romans 8:29
We treat God like a cosmic vending machine. We put in our spiritual quarter [prayer] into the vending machine [God] and wait for our prayer to be dispensed [answered]. And if God does not answer our prayer or at least like we think He should, we begin to complain that God has failed us.
Happiness is based on our circumstances. If our circumstances are "good" we are happy. If our circumstance are "bad" we are upset. But God offers something better, it is called joy. 1 John 1:4
God's joy does not depend on circumstances because joy is found in a personal relationship with Christ.
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