Have you experienced or are you experiencing true happiness in your life?
John Piper's book "Desiring God" is all about being happy IN God. Here is what he says about the book,
"(This book is) all about happiness, because that is what our Creator commands of us!"
"Delight yourself in the Lord" Psalm 37:4 Does that sound like a question? No! The psalmist commands us, saying "Delight yourself in the LORD!" Then he goes on to say, " and He shall give you the desires of your heart." Unfortunately most people misinterpret this by thinking "Wow God is going to give me whatever my heart desires! The mistake was in not adding the next verse. "Commit your way unto the Lord, Trust also in Him and He will bring it to pass." Psalm 37:5
What is he going to bring to pass? Well, if we are Committing our way to the Lord and trusting in Him, then we will Delight in Desiring His will for our lives! So when He brings His will to pass, He is also fulfilling the desire of our heart!
Sadly enough, most of the time in our society today people are constantly trying to fill their life with the earthly things that may bring pleasure for a moment, but tomorrow will mean nothing.
Blaise Pascal wrote this,
" All men seek happiness. This is without exception. Whatever different means they employ, they all tend to this end. The cause of some going to war, and of others avoiding it, is the same desire in both, attended with different views. The will never takes the least step but to this object. This is the motive of every action of every man, even of those who hang themselves."
-from Pascal's Pensees, trans. W.F. Trotter (New York: E.P.Dutton, 1958),
He truly understood how earnestly men seek for Happiness, even some who are so miserable and they have tried everything but seeking the Lord, that they decide to end their lives.
I think C.S. Lewis made an astute observation on man and his longing for happiness. He remarked that,
"There once was in man a true happiness of which now remains to him only the mark and empty trace, which he in vain tries to fill from all his surroundings,seeking from things absent the help he does not obtain in things present. But these are all inadequate, because the infinite abyss can only be filled by an infinite and immutable object, that is to say, only by God Himself. "
There are so many things we try and fill our lives with that just aren't eternally gratifying to our souls that are searching for true happiness! The only True Happiness that comes from God!
So, where are you searching for your happiness?
I Love it! Good Word! I've been pondering on this subject off and on the last few months as I observe other individuals in their search for 'happiness'. It is sad and I always end up trying to comprehend it. I believe Piper has been able to sum it up into words for me and I fully agree with what he had to say.. as well as your commentary after it!!! I'm glad to see that I'm not the only one of my generation who thinks that God's granting me the 'desires of my heart' has to do with what is best for me (which is honestly what I really want and what everyone else wants as well if they would realize it) rather than mental ideas of what i 'want'. Its funny Psalm 37:4-5 actually came to my mind when you asked me to read this and told me your title! So I laughed when I saw it quoted here! How ironic!
ReplyDeleteUm.. Not sure what to say about Pascal's quote. I understand what he is trying to say but i'm not entirely sure that happiness is something that everyones actions 'tends to that end'. If that sounds right. lol I do believe that a lot of choices are made with happiness in mind but for what Pascal is trying to say, I almost think 'satisfaction' may be a better suited word than 'happiness'. And I may be totally wrong on that. And I'm sure if anyone wanted to debate that they could go into how satisfaction and happiness are related but.. honestly that is my opinion.
I Liked the CS Lewis quote. Very Good. Something else he said in relation to this came to mind while i was reading it but I can't remember what it was otherwise i would tell you. haha
In the whole of the matter: Very good Job! It sounds and looks educated (you actually sorta cited your work! Awesome!) and was put together well. In addition there is a lot of truth to be said here. I enjoyed reading it and I recommend that others do as well ;)