For the past several weeks we have
been spending a lot of time talking about what makes us happy. Many have
wondered why so long about one topic. For me it’s personal. The one single
thing that totally breaks my heart as a pastor, a family member, or a friend is
to witness someone I care about undermining their own happiness. I watch from
the sideline as they make decisions that will eventually undermine their own
happiness. Maybe you have experienced this as well. You see it coming, it’s not
a sixth sense or physic powers, but you witness people constantly doing things
that undermine their own happiness. It is tragic to watch. We dare not say
anything. The truth is there are enough unavoidable things in this life that
causes us pain. It is truly heartbreaking when something that is 100% avoidable
but somehow people don’t avoid it. There is one thing in this life that is
consistent and that Jesus even speaks about. Jesus says in this life everyone
will have trouble. So with all the unavoidable trouble why would anyone create
more trouble? So it breaks my heart to witness people make decisions or do
things that I know will cause them pain and trouble which all is totally
avoidable. These people are not immediately but eventually undermining their
own happiness.
The reason we undermine our own
happiness is confusion about two ideals: pleasure and happiness. And the
relationship between these two words: pleasure and happiness. The biggest part
is because of the dynamics between pleasure and happiness. God created us with
the capacity for pleasure and happiness. God wants us to experience pleasure
and happiness. Pleasure is a word that has gotten a bad overtone especially in
religious circles. God is not against pleasure. It’s not an either or. The
problem is our priority. When we place pleasure a higher priority over
happiness, we have a problem. When we choose
pleasure over happiness you get neither. Truth is one leads to the other but
the other ultimately undermines the one. Happiness can lead to pleasure but if
you only pursue pleasure and forget the principles that lead to happiness and
the end of the day you have neither. If you are an adult, you will know already that pleasure will
eventually lose its pleasure and instead becomes a prison. Over time pleasure
loses to pleasure. A pastime becomes a pathway to a habit, to an addiction.
These are not things that are necessarily illegal, immoral, or dangerous.
Pleasure eventually loses to pleasure. The Apostle Paul when writing to the
church in Rome about this says when you continually say yes to pleasure over
and over again you eventually become a slave to it. It begins to own you. We
may say “I’m not a slave I have control over this.” But if we keep saying yes
over and over again to our pleasure we are no longer choosing. We have given up
control. We become a slave when it becomes something we have to do not
something we want to do. Paul’s says you can be a slave to sin, what every
separates us, or obedient to the Good shepherd. Happy people already know this.
Jesus says sow happiness, sow and sow some more and you will eventually reap
happiness. But it’s not immediately but it reaps better. Our trouble is when we
are unhappy we want to do something that will immediately make us happy. We go
straight to the pleasure to feel good. We feel like we need to do something now
to quickly change our status from unhappy to happy but Jesus says is takes time
and we got to sow happiness not pleasure.
Is there any pleasure that is undermining your
happiness? Again it doesn’t have to be anything illegal or immoral. You might
not want to admit it, even to our self, because you may feel you may have to do
anything about it. You don’t have to do anything but you might want to start by
being honest with yourself. Is there a pleasure that you have given into that
undermines your happiness or undermines the happiness of those you love? Have
you ever had a child ask you: "why do you always buy shoes, be on your phone,
buy a new car, drink and act that way?" Is pleasure undermining your happiness?
If you say yes to your pleasure you are rejecting Jesus’ offer for an
extraordinary life. I’m not implying anything was intentional. Without meaning
to, have you placed a pleasure over your pursuit of happiness? Only you know
the answer. You never ever have to share it with anyone else. But if you
continue the path you are on, you will one day look back and wished you would
have tried something different. If that’s you, you’re not a bad person, just a
sheep that needs a good shepherd and a life that doesn’t drain you but gives
you more life. That exchange is one you will never ever regret.
Peace, Love and Happiness
Tommy
