Happiness and a Hole

This morning as I read in the Liberty Journal about Chuck Norris giving the commencement speech at Liberty University this Spring some thoughts about our society and the world in general occurred to me. These thoughts were not new to me, nor should they be to most Christians when they think about life in an imperfect world awaiting our final redemption; but they are thoughts that merit consideration again. Chuck shared his testimony with those present at the graduating ceremony. He shared that as he gained fame and fortune he drifted from his faith. Two verses from Scripture come to mind: 1 Corinthians 15:33, Do not be deceived: Bad company corrupts good morals; and Matthew 6:24, No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth. The lie of the world is that happiness is over there—just a little bit more and I can achieve happiness when I reach that next goal—and yet, the more we pour into the hole of dissatisfaction the bigger the hole gets. A second lie is that we can make “small” compromises to increase our worldly status and comfort without long-term adverse affect. What we do and whom we associate with does impact our life and holiness. The accommodation of either of these lies opens the door for the other, and for many more compromises in our lives. Let us heed the exhortation of Psalm 49 and let us follow the wisdom in Psalm 52:6-9 and pursue the kingdom of God, trusting in Him for that which we truly need (Matthew 6:33). The world rejects the wisdom of the Bible, but let it not be so among the children of the Living God. Let us recognize that true happiness and contentment is bound up in the love and service of our Maker and Savior, the Lord of all. It is only as we seek to recognize Him as the center of our faith and worship, the center of our very lives, our source of joy everlasting, that we find and experience true happiness in this life. He is only a prayer away, have you sought Him today?