This morning, while I was in hot pursuit of the just the right amount of gooeyness for each of a half dozen eggs, my toddler and infant were taking turns crying. As if on cue, one would stop, then the other would chime in, this peppered with the questions of an inquisitive 8-year-old, and the tapping paws of a golden retriever dancing around my still decaffeinated lower extremities, led to destruction of one raw egg on an otherwise clean kitchen floor. The chain of events was capped off by the painful stubbing of not one, but two toes and my exclamation that I was going to 'blow a gasket'. This was followed by a brief not-quite-3rd-grade lesson on what exactly a gasket is, and why I would not want to blow one.
All the chaos had me thinking about another pursuit, the pursuit of happiness. I am truly blessed and yet this morning, as I was about to sit down to a plentiful breakfast with my husband and three beautiful daughters in our suburban home with our golden retriever happily wagging his tail by my side, all I could think about was a moment of peace and quiet. I think I would be hard pressed to find a person who hasn't played into the greener grass conspiracy at one time or another.
It is tempting in our have-it-all-right-now society to chase after the what ifs of the world. What if I had a bigger car, nicer house, different job, more kids, less kids, a spouse or lack there of, you get the picture. These what if statements always end the same way, then I'd be happy. Aristotle recognized happiness as the aim of life when he observed “For we choose happiness for itself, and never with a view to anything further; whereas we choose honor, pleasure, intellect ... because we believe that through them we shall be made happy.” In other words, happiness is a driving factor in the choices we make.
An astute observation, but as a Christian, I believe that I am called to a higher purpose than just happiness. Happiness should be a byproduct of the choices I make, not a motive for them. Jesus said, "... seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well" (Matthew 6:33). When we keep our hearts focused on the kingdom of God, and what he wants for our lives we will be happy, without the exhausting chase that inevitably leads to an all too brief euphoria.
By now you may be thinking that this is all great for crying kids and throbbing toes, but what about when you're in the middle of something really big. A few years ago, I was in the midst of a troubled pregnancy that landed me in a cramped emergency room. I can remember the casual tone the doctor used as he explained to me that the child I had grown to love over the past twelve weeks was in jeopardy. “If the baby makes it, the baby makes it. There's not much we can do,” he said. This is the reality of living in a fallen world. One day real heartache will catch up with all of us.
I clutched my bible as I left the hospital, and throughout the next three months as I lay couped up in bed. Through all the worry, fear and loneliness that filled that vulnerable time, I took comfort in knowing that God was by my side. I read to my still unnamed daughter from the new testament and joy flooded my soul. It was the only thing that could breakdown the walls of fear that had built up around me. I also remember the day that, as I read the book of Matthew aloud in a house of excruciating quiet, I realized that God would take care of me. I'm glad to say that my crying two-year-old is one of the babies who made it. The prophet Habakkuk left us an example to follow in troubled times. Habakkuk 3:17-18 reads:
Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior.
Habakkuk faced his fears by recognizing the hardships that lay ahead - famine so great that the livestock would not survive. He did not run and hide. He did not lash out in angry frustration. Fully aware of his harsh circumstances, Habakkuk chose to rejoice. We don't have to be trouble-free or ignore the realities of the world, nor do we need to put on a happy facade. Instead, we are called to accept our situation and choose to find joy in our savior, Jesus Christ.
Paul reiterates this point in Hebrews 13:5, when he writes: Be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” True happiness is found by first seeking God, then accepting our circumstances, all the while knowing that He has promised never to leave us. In our darkest hour, we too can choose to rejoice in the redeeming love of Christ, whose love endures forever.
It is neither the car, the house, the kids or even a faithful husband or wife that make us happy. True happiness comes in fulfilling the role that God created just for us, to rejoice in Him. We never know how many people will be impacted by the joy of our hearts. Let's celebrate the circumstances that make up the life God has so graciously given us. Paul said it best in Philippians 4:4, Rejoice in the Lord always, I will say it again, rejoice!
