The Pursuit of Happiness

Intro

In the dictionary, Happy means fortunate, enjoying well being and contentment. Some synonyms are glad, cheerful, light-hearted, joyful or even joyous.

In the united States we have been pursuing happiness for 248 years. Will Smith made a movie titled The Pursuit of Happiness. We believe we have the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. But, are we any closer to catching it? I suspect that as a nation we are much less happy than we were 248 years ago.

Look around… I don’t see a whole lot of happy people out there. I see a lot of stress, anxiety, anger, and despair… but not much happiness.

I believe that today if we will put our trust in God alone for our happiness, we will be happy.

Psalm 33:12–22 NLT

12 What joy for the nation whose God is the Lord, whose people he has chosen as his inheritance. 13 The Lord looks down from heaven and sees the whole human race. 14 From his throne he observes all who live on the earth. 15 He made their hearts, so he understands everything they do. 16 The best-equipped army cannot save a king, nor is great strength enough to save a warrior. 17 Don’t count on your warhorse to give you victory— for all its strength, it cannot save you. 18 But the Lord watches over those who fear him, those who rely on his unfailing love. 19 He rescues them from death and keeps them alive in times of famine. 20 We put our hope in the Lord. He is our help and our shield. 21 In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. 22 Let your unfailing love surround us, Lord, for our hope is in you alone.

Think about one of the most popular songs by Mich Jagger of all time. Its I Can’t Get No Satisfaction.

But we try and we try… why?

Let’’s look at some reasons for our discontentment.

1. Reasons for Discontentment

During the 2nd half of the 20th Century, we (Americans) abandoned our belief in the right to pursue happiness. We don’t believe that it’s something to be pursued any longer. We believe that we have a “right to happiness.” There is a difference.

We have become an entitled culture.

The right to pursue happiness has been replaced by the idea that the world owes it to me… that I deserve it. The result of that shift is that we have become a culture of litigation (we sue people at the drop of a hat). resentment, grievance, and victimization. You probably know some people that live like they are the victim all the time.

We have taken our focus off of heaven and put it on this life.

Baby Boomers are maybe the first generation that actually expected to find happiness in this life and our search for it has caused a lot of unhappiness.

Why is that? If you don’t believe in another, higher world; if you believe that this life is your only chance at happiness, then if the world doesn’t give you a good measure of it’s riches, you feel cheated.

Our culture has trained us to be discontented.

Look at the advertising. They basically say that you ought to be discontented, but that contentment is one step away after you buy what I am selling.

Use me, buy me, eat me, put me in your hair on your face, wear me, drive me, taste me…

Steve Jobs with Apple…

The result is that people are healthier, cleaner, richer, more knowledgeable than ever. We live longer, eat better, look better, work less, play more than anyone in history of the human race. But are we happier? or are we just cleaner, healthier and better looking malcontents?

We should recognize that possibly …

Some of our discontentment comes from God himself.

Romans 8:20–21 GNB

20 For creation was condemned to lose its purpose, not of its own will, but because God willed it to be so. Yet there was the hope 21 that creation itself would one day be set free from its slavery to decay and would share the glorious freedom of the children of God.

God knew that we would pursue other gods like: pleasure… wealth… power… So God said that as a result of the Fall none of these things would bring us satisfaction. Our pursuit of them will ALWAYS bring some measure of discontentment or disappointment.

But Paul says that… yet there is hope… God did this in hope that one day we will wake up and come to our senses. That one day prodigals will stop rooting around in the pig trough and come home. That one day we’ll realize that we can’t get no satisfaction no matter how hard we try, and will return to the Father.

So, discontentment is not just a modern problem, it’s a human problem.

2. Look at the Exodus

God leads His people, the Israelites, out of slavery in Egypt after 400 years of slavery. They were given a new identity, new security, and a promise of their own homeland. You would think that they would be grateful… right? They weren’t.

Exodus 15:23–24 NLT

23 When they came to the oasis of Marah, the water was too bitter to drink. So they called the place Marah (which means “bitter”). 24 Then the people complained and turned against Moses. “What are we going to drink?” they demanded.

They were out of slavery and they were almost always complaining. When God did a miracle and made the water sweet, they still were not grateful. Look at this…

Exodus 16:2–3 NLT

2 There, too, the whole community of Israel complained about Moses and Aaron. 3 “If only the Lord had killed us back in Egypt,” they moaned. “There we sat around pots filled with meat and ate all the bread we wanted. But now you have brought us into this wilderness to starve us all to death.”

These people took complaining to a new level.

But God was patient with these grumbling people. This time, he provides them with Manna or bread from heaven. It tasted like wafers made with honey, and was apparently a very versatile food. They were told to bake it, boil it, or eat it raw. It almost sounds like Forrest Gump’s friend describing all the ways you can fix shrimp.

Baked Manna, Barbecue Manna, Friend Manna, Manna Kabob, Manna burgers, Manna Dogs, Manna salad, Manna-cotti, Ba-manna cream pie… Manna gooey,

Were they grateful? NO

Numbers 11:4–6 NLT

4 Then the foreign rabble who were traveling with the Israelites began to crave the good things of Egypt. And the people of Israel also began to complain. “Oh, for some meat!” they exclaimed. 5 “We remember the fish we used to eat for free in Egypt. And we had all the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, and garlic we wanted. 6 But now our appetites are gone. All we ever see is this manna!”

They were complaining about food you didn’t have to go buy. Every day they would wake up with all they could eat for that day. No grocery bill, but they complained.

God was still merciful with these whiners. But this time, there is judgement mixed in with his mercy. They wanted Quail so Quails fell from heaven, but God says…

Numbers 11:19–20 NLT

19 And it won’t be for just a day or two, or for five or ten or even twenty. 20 You will eat it for a whole month until you gag and are sick of it. For you have rejected the Lord, who is here among you, and you have whined to him, saying, “Why did we ever leave Egypt?” ’ ”

The Israelites learned that getting what we think we want will never bring us contentment in our lives and we will often come to despise what was once our hearts desire because it did not satisfy us.

But God is patient.

Isaiah 55:1–2 NLT

1 “Is anyone thirsty? Come and drink— even if you have no money! Come, take your choice of wine or milk— it’s all free! 2 Why spend your money on food that does not give you strength? Why pay for food that does you no good? Listen to me, and you will eat what is good. You will enjoy the finest food.

3. What are some signs of discontentment?

I am bored or dissatisfied with my work.

We often want it to not only pay the bills but to provide us a sense of identity and significance, and it will never live up to our expectations.

I am disappointed in my relationships.

My family and friends don’t meet all my emotional and intimacy needs, and I an growing resentful.

I no longer enjoy the moments because I am preoccupied with the pursuit of happiness.

I try to escape my discontentment.

I seek relief through alcohol, spending money or distraction through hobbies and watching TV.

I grow resentful & envious of those whose life seems more pleasant than mine.

If you have felt this way or feel this way, welcome to the human race. There is a way out of this and that is to have a grateful heart.

4. Developing a Grateful Heart

1. Say it even when you don’t feel it.

We do this with our kids. When someone gives them a gift, we go, “now what do you say?” We hope that they at least will become thankful for the gift. But it takes practice.

ILL - A man told his son who moved to Colorado Springs… never look at that mountain, Pike’s Peak, which looms over the city without giving thanks for it or it will become invisible to you.

We all take things for granted if we do not give thank for them.

Some days you don’t feel it... but on some days you do feel it … and on some days the feeling is overwhelming you.

GK Chesterton’s evening prayer

“Here ends another day during which I have had eyes, ears, hands, and the great world around me, and tomorrow begins another. Why am I allowed two?”

What was he saying? He was saying that every day is a precious gift and we need to receive it as just that… a gift.

Here is something that will help. Find 3 things every day to be thankful for.

2. Gain some perspective.

So much of the way we feel depends on our perspective.

A college student wrote home.

Dear Mom and Dad, I have so much to tell you. Because of the fire in my dorm set off by the student riots, I experienced temporary lung damage and had to go to the hospital. While I was there, I fell in love with an orderly, and we have moved in together. I dropped out of school when I found out I was pregnant, and he got fired because of his drinking, so we’re going to move to Alaska, where we might get married after the birth of the baby.

Signed your loving daughter

PS: None of that really happened, but I did flunk my chemistry class and wanted you to keep in perspective.

Have you ever been in a situation where your mind went to the worst that could happen but it wasn’t that… when I came home and mama said we go the schock of our life tonight…

3. Think about what you do have, not what you don’t have.

We are each made in the image of God. I have a body and most of it works. We have eyes that see and hands that touch. Some people don’t, but I do… you do.

God loves me and calls me His child. Because Jesus died for my sins and was resurrected, I have an abundant life here and eternal life in heaven with Jesus. I have a huge family, God’s family, the church. Because of that, I belong to a group of people that love and accept me, in spite of my flaws and imperfections.

God has gifted me to make a unique contribution to his work. Even when I mess up, God works through my mistake.

Now that’s a list. But here is what we say. If I had all of that plus a really cool car, then I would be grateful forever.

4. Learn to delight in imperfect gifts.

Have you ever been to an outlet store where they sell slightly imperfect products?

Listen, everything in our lives is slightly imperfect. Ladies, how long did it take you to figure out your spouse was imperfect? It was probably about the same time they discovered the same thing about you.

How about kids? When they are born, they are so cute. We count the fingers and toes and say, they are perfect in every way. But that memory disappears when they hit their threes and fours and are into everything… challenging everything you say with why? Then they hit 13 and you wonder what did I do?

What about our bodies? How many of us in our culture are dissatisfied with our bodies? We go, if I could just change this or that… or if I had a body like that, then I would be happy… We all do it

guy jogging with 6 pak abs… If I was built like that, I’d go without a shirt too.

If I were just a little quicker… or bigger…

Listen, God chose to delight in the slightly imperfect gifts in you and me. Even with all of our flaws and hangups, mixed motives and bad attitudes, God receives us with unspeakable joy. All of heaven rejoices when a sinful person invited Jesus into his heart.

Wrap up

In Psa 33:13-14

Psalm 33:13–14 NLT

13 The Lord looks down from heaven and sees the whole human race. 14 From his throne he observes all who live on the earth.

God is watching all of us all the time. What is He looking for?

Psalm 33:16–17 NLT

16 The best-equipped army cannot save a king, nor is great strength enough to save a warrior. 17 Don’t count on your warhorse to give you victory— for all its strength, it cannot save you.

He wants us to not depend on ourselves, but to depend on Him. No king is saved by his army. We are not saved by the size of our investment accounts etc.

Look what he says,

Psalm 33:18–22 NLT

18 But the Lord watches over those who fear him, those who rely on his unfailing love. 19 He rescues them from death and keeps them alive in times of famine. 20 We put our hope in the Lord. He is our help and our shield. 21 In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. 22 Let your unfailing love surround us, Lord, for our hope is in you alone.

Our hope, our security and our contentment is found in God alone.

The pursuit of happiness is the pursuit of God.

Heads Bowed and Eyes Closed

Salvation

Say it when you don’t feel it…

Gain some perspective...

Think about what you do have, not what you do not have… find 3 things each day you are thankful for.

Learn to delight in imperfect gifts