God's Children searching for happiness




He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him.  John 1:10  

The more I read about this subject, the more scary it becomes.  We have become such a self-focused people, even Christians, and each generation seems more selfish than the last. The generations before us enjoyed self-fulfillment, but it came out of living a good life, doing good for others, and committing their lives to serving others.

Now, self-fulfillment is the only goal and everything we do is to reach that end but it doesn't work. Seeking only our own wants and needs is no longer looked down upon but celebrated as the way to be 'happy'. And yet, the world's population is unhappy. Studies have shown that the search for self-fulfillment has only resulted in misery and more seeking with no end.

Unfortunately, these same studies show that 83% of Americans agree with this life-style (Yankelovich, James Davison Hunter) and, horror of horrors, most of these are Christians.  Instead of being driven by Christ's example of self-sacrifice, we are driven by our own desires to be 'happy'.


That they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, Acts 17:27 ESV



The only ONLY way to be truly fulfilled, truly happy, is by accepting Jesus Christ and following His example.  I know this to be true because I have tried both ways.  All we have to do is look around us, the world is miserable.  Those following other supposedly great religious leaders are not happy and have no hope.  Christ is God and God is Christ who came in the flesh and died in our place for all the terrible things we have done, and will do.  Did any of those other do that?  Did any of them rise from the dead?  Do any of them live in our hearts and give us the fulfillment we are seeking?  NO

Think about this for a minute... Why is Christianity the only religion that is persecuted?  No praying in public, no nativity scenes, no right to believe what you want without being ridiculed?  Other religions have the right to pray in public, wear what they want, believe what they want and if we disagree, we'd better keep it to ourselves, because "that would be discrimination". 


Though he had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him,John 12:37 

Why?  Because Christianity is REAL and TRUE and it is a threat.  The others are no threat because they are not real, but they are part of the world searching for fulfillment.  

As Christians, we love these people as Christ did, we don't hate, we don't turn away, but we do stand firm in living as Christ lived, which is in self-sacrifice, not self-fulfillment. 

Now you might ask, what about the people that are not Christians but are out there doing good works?  I am happy that they are using their time and talents to serve humanity but that is the way they are seeking for self-fulfillment and even though they are doing good, they are missing the most important part.  The ones who do not believe in Christ are like the Pharisees in the bible, doing good for the praise and attention it brings them.  We can rejoice that good things are being done, but continue to pray for their salvation.  




Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever. 1 John 2:15-17

Let us live as Christ lived, as a servant of all. And that means all, not just other Christians.  Let us go back to seeking to do good, live by higher ideals, being embarrassed when we are selfish, and, though we know we are not saved by works, serve as if we were serving Jesus.  Then and only then will we be 'happy'.
 





 

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