HAPPINESS: THE IMPOSSIBLE PURSUIT? by Heidi Tai for Core Christianity
Is it possible to pursue happiness?
I grew up believing that my life was only ‘good’ if I felt happy. I was the kid with the bored and restless spirit. I would take risks and chase after thrills, even it came at a cost to my health, relationships or bank account. Happiness was the basis for my existence, and yet it left me feeling terribly insecure. While Western individualism encouraged me to live life to the max, it so often left me wondering if I was ever living enough?
Do I have enough?
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Am I happy enough?
Have I experienced enough?
Am I enough?
For most of us, we live for the taste of temporary highs: the promotion at work, the first kiss, the taste of chocolate, the family reunion over Christmas, the adrenaline of a skydive, the thrill of casual sex; but when the moment passes or the rain clouds come, we find ourselves back at square one, grasping for the next best thing in the hope that it will satisfy our insatiable appetites for happiness.
Over the years, I’ve had to learn that while God promises me many things, he doesn’t promise me happiness in this lifetime. Happiness is an impossible pursuit because it is dependent on changing circumstances that are beyond human control. Nobody can be fully prepared for sickness, conflict, the next financial crisis, depression, or sudden death. Following Jesus on the narrow road can sometimes be hard work! I don’t think anyone wrestles with weakness or forgives their enemies because it makes them feel happy.
If pursuing happiness was the motivator for my faith, I would honestly have given up on following Jesus years ago! If not happiness, what should we be pursuing? What does it look like for the Christian to live life to the max?
Contentment: The Possible Pursuit
“…for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” – Apostle Paul (Phil 4:11-13)
As a Christian, the Apostle Paul experienced immense suffering, but he acknowledges that it is God who gave him strength, in the form of contentment to endure. We can be content in God because unlike the circumstances of our lives, God’s promises in Jesus are unchanging. This means that no matter your lot and in spite of your personal performance, nothing can separate you from God’s love and the security of eternal life with Him. (Rom 8:38-39) Sure life on this side of eternity can be tough, but everything changed when Jesus removed the sting of death. Are we, like Paul, willing to learn to be content in all circumstances? Are we willing to train ourselves to be content with God’s plan and provision, because we believe that ‘to live is Christ, and to die is gain’?
