Our society is so wicked! In a world of "feel good" marketing and "Mr. Roger-esque" mentality, it has become sinful to feel overwhelmed, burdened, or convicted. Venues, books, television, food, medicines, and the like have been created and pushed into our present times in an effort to feed the culture's desire to be happy. Unfortunately, however, happiness is not really the goal; it's all about distraction.All of the mediums mentioned do not bring about happiness; they merely lighten or distract us from the pain of personal despair and frustration. We have become very weak and very shallow as a culture and society, and I am not merely talking about the unsaved community. Tragically, this ridiculous mentality is just as prevalent inside the church.
The fruit of the Spirit is Love, Joy, Peace, Kindness, Goodness, Patience, Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self-Control. They come from God and are the attributes of God; therefore, they cannot be achieved independently of God or exercised apart from God. Secular joy is not real joy, but an imitation or farce. The same is true of happiness, peace, kindness and the rest. Unless the source of all of these is the Lord, it is mere deception leading to destruction.
Too many Christian churches and media outlets are obsessed with making people happy in the same manner as the secular. They offer classes, sell books with clever sayings, do good deeds, create sermon series and sings songs about prosperity and feeling good. The main focus of the church has become all about making people really "happy."
But some will say: Why is this a bad thing? Do we not want people to be happy? Did God not create us to know joy and peace and serenity? Of course, He did; but not like this...
Jesus tells us that the joy of a believer is doing the will of the Lord. It is a life of repentance and abstinence from sin. It is a life of selflessness and denial of the flesh. It is life in pursuit of God and His holiness. It is the complete OPPOSITE of worldly joy and pleasure. Adopting secular thinking and practice while merely adding Biblical terminology is not what the church should be about. The church must be about the Lord's pleasure.
Biblical joy leads to weeping, conviction and dependence. Biblical joy leads us to the streets of our community and praying over our neighbors and government leaders. The joy of the Lord leads us to truth which means calling out sin in both our personal lives and the life of our culture. Yes, biblical joy more often than not leads to persecution, rejection, and loneliness apart from the world because Jesus alone IS our joy!
Are you really happy?
