The Pursuit of Happyness

Back in 2006 a very moving movie came out called "The Pursuit of Happyness." In the movie Will Smith played the role of a man who was down on his luck with his wife that left him and a son that was needing him. He try selling a product that no one was buying and he found himself homeless. The story takes a turn for the better when he was accepted into an internship that eventually turned out to be a great career. Throughout the video you felt him longing for more. It felt so close but yet so far away the whole time.

What is it in our culture that says that we need stuff in order to find happiness? We are never happy until we have this or that. The pursuit of the American dream, whatever that may be for you. I know that I want to own a home, have kids someday, have a nice car, but when does it end? Where does it start? The man in the movie had tried so hard to get all the things of this world by himself, but he never was completely fulfilled.

I was watching this show last night for a little bit. It is called how the lottery changed my life. In the show they talk about how much money they won and how much "stuff" they were able to get with that money. They got new houses, new cars, expensive this and that, looking for that thing that will finally bring them some since of happiness.The interesting thing is that money will eventually run out and they will always be looking to get the next big thing.

The old saying is that money can't buy happiness and I think that is so true. No matter how hard we try we cannot attain what we truly desire. Lately we have been talking about the Joy of Believing on Sunday morning at New Life Community Church. I was beginning to think about these things. Then a verse came to me and it showed me how I ought to think about this. Psalms 37:4 says, "Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart." Take delight in the Lord, and HE will give you the desires of your heart. I think so many of us have gotten this backward. We often think that if I get this or that then I will be able to delight in God and the things of this life. This passage tells us to delight in him first. This word delight means to please someone greatly. It is time that we take some pleasure knowing that our God is in control and follow what he has for our lives. The really amazing thing is that it says that he will give us the desires of our heart. Who knows the desires of our heart better than our creator? I think that the true desires of our heart go way beyond mere "stuff" but goes into relationships, emotions, and many other things.

I think this was no more true in a certain time in my life. I had just entered college and I really wanted to find a girl that liked me. I was trying hard to do it by myself. It did not go to well. I decided one day to just give it God. I gave it to Him fully and completely. He eventually gave me the desire of my heart with a wonderful, loving wife in Sarah. I feel so more complete knowing that God sent her into my life then finding her on my own with my own will power. There are so many things that are in our life we need to just give back to Him and allow Him to do what he wants to do. Let's stop pursuing happiness and start enjoying the the joy of the Lord that he has given us freely. I am not saying that this is an exact science or somehow a formula, but there is so much truth to this passage that I have even seen in my life. So why don't you give it all back to him and quit keeping up with the Jones's. When we begin to do this I think that we will be able to find a joy that is complete and fulfilling. Do you want the desires of your heart? Then delight in the Lord and see what he begins to do in your life.