The Pursuit of Happiness

Something stuck with me I heard a long time ago:  happiness depends on what happens.  Those who make happiness their aim will often be disappointed, for people and circumstances are always changing.  Happiness can be like a good dream perpetually dangled before us, and the pursuit might be more fun than actually achieving our goals--because they often cannot measure up to our expectations.

While preparing for a sermon my mind was drawn to the smiling, eager face of little children awaiting dad or mum blowing bubbles.  They watch intently as the wand is dipped in the solution, and in moments the air is filled with bubbles that dance away on the breeze.  Some prefer lots of tiny bubbles while others, like me, are always trying to make the largest bubble we can and admire it as it sags under its own weight.  Giggling with delight, happy children run with outstretched arms to the bubble.  Only the smallest touch of the bubble causes it to pop and be lost forever.  But no fear:  there's plenty of magic bubble solution left to make more.

These smiling children enjoy the repetitive game, yet at some point all fun things must come to an end.  Perhaps the fun ended prematurely because a clumsy lad poured out his bubbles or the solution was used up.  Then it is time to wash sticky hands or maybe even take a bath, something that is more a chore than chasing bubbles.  It dawned on me when we make happiness our pursuit, the idea of what will bring us ultimate happiness often drifts out of reach.  Yet should we reach our goal, we will surprisingly find ourselves empty.  The only temporary fix for our disappointment is to set our eyes on the next prize and set after it, imagining this will satisfy us.  The pursuit of happiness leads to emptiness.

The joy of the LORD is fundamentally different than happiness, for it does not depend on what happens.  Paul wrote to the church in Philippi to rejoice in the LORD always, and this is possible because God does not change.  No matter what happens to us we can rest in the goodness of God today and always because He is merciful, faithful, compassionate and loving.  For those who are born again by faith in Jesus Christ He makes us a fountain of the Living Water of the Holy Spirit who fills our hearts to overflowing, and those who are in Christ lack no good thing because He provides all that pertains to life and godliness (1 Peter 1:3).  Knowing the joy of the LORD is ours by grace through faith in Jesus, we can be supremely happy in our awesome Saviour.

Faithful in Much

United States Representative Jim Jordan was recently quoted in a news article saying, "One thing I've learned: people who mislead folks on small things mislead them on big things."  This is an astute observation of what Jesus taught long ago in Luke 16:10:  "He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much."  Jesus taught what some see as a "little thing" is actually a big deal.  A person who will lie over a small matter among friends will also lie before a judge in court.  One who will not respond with humble contrition after being pulled aside by friends for doing wrong demonstrates a heart that can be hardened towards God Himself.

Jesus gave this teaching about being faithful in what is least and much following the Parable of the Unjust Steward.  In the parable, a steward who worked for a rich man was discovered to be wasting his master's goods.  He was called before his boss and told to settle all accounts with creditors because he was going to be fired.  The steward was wasteful and selfish, but he was also shrewd to advance his own interests.  He called one who owed a debt to his boss and asked how much he owed (apparently attention to detail was not his strong suit).  When told the man owed 100 measures of oil, as a favour he told him to quickly reduce the sum by half.  That's a huge reduction of debt, a favour the steward hoped his new "friend" would not forget when he was out of work.

Luke 16:7-8 says, "Then he said to another, 'And how much do you owe?' So he said, 'A hundred measures of wheat.' And he said to him, 'Take your bill, and write eighty.' ⁸ So the master commended the unjust steward because he had dealt shrewdly. For the sons of this world are more shrewd in their generation than the sons of light."  The steward who knew he soon would be out of a job used his current position to do favours for others who could hire him in the future.  The master commended or praised the servant for his shrewd dealing to benefit his job prospects (though at his master's expense!) because in settling accounts he leveraged opportunity to secure his future.  The master would not have recommended his wasteful steward because he was wasteful; being fired would not change him or his way of thinking.  The man who was unfaithful in little would be unfaithful in much, and thus the master was pleased to see the back of that steward as he went off to pursue new employment.

The principle Jesus taught that applied to the steward applies to our lives as well.  It is profitable for us to be circumspect and determine if we have integrity in the little things:  do we keep our word?  Are we hypocritical, demanding from others what we do not hold ourselves accountable to do?  The wonderful thing is the unjust steward was not doomed to continue in his crooked, self-serving ways:  by repentance of sin and faith in Christ this man and all other unjust people have the opportunity to be made righteous by God's grace, no longer enslaved to and defined by our faults and failings.  In Christ we have more than the offer of a "change of scenery" but a change of heart and the Holy Spirit dwells within us Who helps, comforts and teaches us.  A wake-up call does not mean a person will rise to the occasion, but we can hope in Jesus Christ who is risen.  With God's help we can be faithful in what is least and thus faithful in much.

Life, Death and Love

In 1985 Australia demonstrated bipartisan opposition for capital punishment for crime and banned it.  One reason why this policy and more strict sentences have been widely panned is they have not been proved to deter crime.  Whether or not a sentence or punishment deters future crime is of little consequence when a legal system exists to uphold existing laws, protect the innocent and hold criminals to account.

Under the Law of Moses there were many infractions that required the life of an offender.  This served the purpose of revealing how terrible and awful the offence was before the living God with Whom the children of Israel entered into a covenant with.  While the administering of the sentence may have served as a deterrent to some people, the Law was to be kept in the fear of the LORD.  It is one thing to fall into the hands of men who can kill the body, but it is another altogether to fall into the hands of the living God Who is able to cast a soul into hell forever.

It would be wonderful to be "hard on crime" while being "soft on criminals," but this does not do justice to the rigours of the law, victims, the accused or convicted.  In a country where there is no crime possible that warrants a death sentence, it may prove difficult to convey the severity of crimes committed.  The Law of Moses did a very good job of showing sin is incredibly sinful and held forth the righteous character of God.  In a secular society we can learn much from God's word about the righteous treatment of our fellow man, the requirement of restitution to the victim--double what was stolen--and submission by servitude rather than stealing.

It is amazing how Jesus the Son of God put on human flesh, not to destroy the law, but to fulfill.  He who loves God and his neighbour as himself fulfills the Law of Moses that was nailed to the cross with Jesus.  Jesus kept the Law but was murdered contrary to the Law, and through His sacrifice followers of Jesus are called to a higher standard:  to love one another as Jesus loves us.  By His grace we are empowered by the Holy Spirit to obey God and honour the laws of the land, not out of fear of condemnation, but out of love for God who loves us.  Love is a greater deterrent to evil law could ever be, and Jesus gives us the grace and power to walk in love towards all.

Who Do You Serve?

"No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon."

Matthew 6:24

Jesus spoke with all authority as the Son of God.  This is one of many absolute, simple statements we nod our heads in agreement with but in practice resist or reject as untrue.  We think we are able to do what Jesus said no one can do:  that we effectively can serve two masters.  The truth is we can pretend to serve many masters at once, but we cannot serve any of them fully.  I had an experience yesterday that illustrates this well.

Yesterday I did something a bit different and threw a small brisket on the BBQ.  It was a low and slow cook and historically I have always used the BBQ hood thermometer as the gauge I refer to.  This time I used a temperature probe to monitor the heat level because this prevented me from needing to go outside and check it.  It is convenient because I can work at my desk and have a real-time readout of the temperature of the BBQ as well as the internal temperature of the meat.  Generally the thermometer on the BBQ is not nearly as accurate as the probe and there can be a large discrepancy between them.  This was the case yesterday of about 60 degrees Fahrenheit.

George Thorogood sung, "Who do you love?" and I needed to ask myself, "Which thermometer do I trust?"  Would I go with the BBQ thermometer or the Thermopro?  Previously I had decent results by relying upon the BBQ hood, but digital probes tend to be more accurate.  I was tempted to adjust the heat to land in the middle, yet doing so was a clear indication I really didn't trust either of them.  So I went with the Thermopro reading and disregarded the BBQ thermometer.  This is a point Jesus was making:  it is impossible to serve two masters at the same time.  A master demanded total obedience, loyalty and love of his servants, and no master will be pleased with a servant with divided allegiance.  If they have divided loyalty, are they really serving him whilst moonlighting for another master or themselves?

Jesus said, "You cannot serve God and mammon."  "Mammon" is a word we never use today but what it represents is prevalent:  wealth, money, riches and property.  Jesus said it is impossible for a person to serve God and serve wealth and money.  Either we serve God with our money and stuff or we will serve our money and stuff as god.  A true servant of God will love and obey Him.  Attempts to divide our loyalty between God and the pursuit of worldly wealth will be in vain, for Jesus rightly says it is an impossible exercise.  When we seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, all we need He adds unto us.  There is no one more wealthy or prosperous than the child of God in this life and the next, for God who gives wealth supplies wisdom for living.

It is good when we yield to God's word, submitting to the truth He has spoken.  Instead of our lives being a declaration of our love and loyalty to God they can be likened to an argument against Him, foolishly saying we can serve two masters.  Jesus tells it like it is:  we cannot serve two masters.  The question is:  who do I love?  Who do I trust?  Who am I serving?  May our lives answer and affirm we serve God with our money, property and stuff rather than the other way round, for all we have is a gift by His gracious hand.