Recently I watched a documentary on
a highly accomplished NBA basketball player from the 1980s and 90s. The program ended with the camera on him as
he said, “I have five NBA Championships and I’m world famous. Is that supposed to make me happy?” Then he bowed his head and began to
weep.
Happiness is that inner experience
some label as a state of contentment and well-being. How many of us want that for ourselves or
wish it for those whom we love? It often
seems the inner experience of happiness is tied to something external. Like if we find marriage or love externally,
that will provide us happiness internally. If we find success externally, that
will provide happiness internally.
As a result, we search the world over for something that will provide us
that inner happiness.
I firmly believe we were all created
to want this happiness for ourselves.
This is the common human experience.
Rich or poor. No matter our race
or religion, we hunger to be happy.
Jesus once made a startling claim to
a crowd about Himself, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not
hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst” (John 6:35). These words of Jesus show His understanding
of the human heart. He knew people were
searching outwardly for what they longed for inwardly. Sometime after these words were spoken, Jesus
went on to suffer, die, then rise again.
After He arose and ascended back to His home in heaven, He sent His
Spirit to live on the earth. His Spirit
indwells anyone who turns from their evil ways and trusts in Jesus alone for
complete forgiveness for all they have ever done wrong. When this happens, the Spirit brings the life
of Jesus into that individual which gives, “love, joy, peace, patience,
kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Galatians
5:22-23). Right there, that is what
every human truly longs for. It is
something deeper and more profound than superficial happiness.
What we are looking for is not found
in marriage, success or any other earthly human experience we can control or
create for ourselves.
The contentment, joy and meaning in
life we seek is found in Jesus and nowhere else. And it is not something He dispenses outside
of Himself. He embodies it all. When we come to our senses and realize we
have been going after the wrong things and receive the Spirit of Jesus within
us, we receive all of who He is.
Are you ready to stop going here and
there looking for temporary happiness?
Are you ready to surrender all to Christ?
A prayer for you - “Lord
God, I pray you will lead those who are searching for contentment and inner
well-being to Christ. Open their
spiritual eyes to see that Jesus is all they are looking for, that in Him all
their desires and longings will be met.
Bring them to surrender all, to turn from their ways and trust in You
with all their heart. In Jesus’ name.
Amen.
