Personal Happiness

I looked up "happy" in my NIV Bible's index and I found that word was in 4 verses of the Bible's 31,000 verses approximately. I have been thinking recently about how highly concerned our culture is with happiness. Feelings of happiness determine what is true for people. "If it makes you happy, it is right!" "If it makes you comfortable, do it!" We avoid whatever makes us unhappy or uncomfortable.

This may seem like a natural thing to do, to avoid uncomfortable situations, but is it the right thing to do? It is uncomfortable to be with girls who are gossiping and not participate in it. And when I am uncomfortable I am often unhappy as well. So should I gossip or be unhappy for a little while? It makes me unhappy when I have to study and I know my friends are having fun. So should I study for my test and be unhappy for a little while or be happy with my friends? It is uncomfortable to bring up Jesus in a conversation with people. So should I not share the most important thing I know with them? All these situations show me how much I and the rest of the world make being comfortable and happy a priority. And we will go out of our way to avoid uncomfortable situations at all costs-- even if the right thing to do or say is uncomfortable!

If you believe this world is sinful and corrupt (not the way God designed it to be) as the Bible says, then you know that living a life after Jesus Christ will be uncomfortable. Because His life was uncomfortable. He had disagreements, He wasn't friends with everyone, He wasn't wearing the latest fashion, He wasn't in the "popular" crowd, He did not live with a lot of money, He suffered on the cross. Join me in checking the "uncomfortable level" of your life. We are "aliens and strangers" of this world, not vacationers and tourists.