Reason #744
The other day at work someone made an assumptive divorce comment about a woman they knew, and as soon as it left their mouth, they looked at me and said, “Sorry, no offense.” Well, maybe I err on taking things too personally, but I was offended. Most of all, I hurt for that woman and the fact that such assumptions were made of her. And, if that wasn’t bad enough, she was having to actually live through the ramifications of a divorce, which is no easy road to walk. Who knows, maybe she and her spouse had different definitions of commitment. Maybe they had opposing ideas of what ‘til death do us part’ actually meant. Or, let’s just assume that maybe she really was super mean and tacky ever single moment of the day, but even then, that’s no excuse. After all, Jesus told us to love those who persecute us and pray for our enemies. Yet, the truth is, her marriage probably ended just like most marriages do. Someone decided to chase the pursuit of happiness thinking that would be the answer to all of their problems. And marriage isn't the only place where the pursuit of happiness exists.
God's word says, “Be holy because I am holy.” (1 Peter 1:15-16) Notice that he made no mention of happiness. In fact, I don’t recall Jesus ever really concerning himself with happiness or promising that His followers would find that. The truth is, God is more concerned about your holiness than your happiness. Happiness is fluctuating, and it’s temporary. It provides absolutely no benefit to you after this life. Sure, it feels nice. Happiness is an enjoyable state, but that’s it. Happiness will fade, just give it time. But holiness benefits you in this life and the next. Holiness, not happiness, is what draws you closer to the Lord. Your pursuit of holiness is what pleases God the most, not your pursuit of happiness. Because when we pursue holiness, it takes us directly to His throne. In our effort to become more holy, that means we have to become more like Jesus. And, if you want to become more like Jesus, that means you’ve got to really get to know Him. Holiness brings you closer to the Lord, and consequently enough, you can find the most satisfying form of happiness there.
There’s a praise song that says, “Holiness, holiness, is what I long for. Holiness is what I need, Holiness, holiness is what you want from me.” Holiness, not happiness. And when we pursue holiness over happiness every time, we’ll find that our decisions are pleasing to the Lord. When we choose the long lasting effects of holiness rather than the temporary, fleshly affects of happiness, we’ll see that we don’t have to live with regrets. You’ll pursue one, no doubt, but the ending result will be greatly affected by which one you chase after.
So pursue holiness. Pursue the Lord. Run to His feet. Because if you’re really wanting to have it all, you can find it there. Fulfillment, peace, satisfaction, joy, rest, comfort, and even happiness. Holiness and happiness can co-exist, but it really does depend on which one you choose to chase first. And when you choose holiness, you find that it’s benefits far outweigh anything that promises to make you happy.
#744 - Because He is more concerned about our pursuit of holiness that the pursuit of happiness.
"I am the Lord your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy." - Leviticus 11:44