June 23

“But seek first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness” (Matthew 6:33).

The whole world, Christians included, is engaged in a mad scramble for things in this life; money, security, status; these, it is supposed, add up to happiness and the meaning of life is the pursuit of happiness, or so goes the refrain. As with most worldly proverbs, nothing could be further from the truth.

The underlying desire for happiness, which drives most people, is a Hellenistic notion that flatly contradicts the Word of God and, as well, leads believers away from the Holy Presence of God. Anything that leaves us in charge of our own destiny is damaging to our eternal life; the only true path to happiness is to put Christ Jesus in charge of your life.

To do otherwise is to embrace the doctrines of the world, in which we strive, not for “the kingdom of God and His righteousness”, but for that “happiness” that the world values. Yet a glance at the publicly displayed life of “celebrities”, whom everyone seems to envy for their wealth, status and lifestyle, is evidence enough that what the world regards as the path to “happiness” is nothing of the sort. Divorce, suicide, drug addiction, jetting around the world to find that which cannot be found outside Christ Jesus; this is the celebrity lifestyle that so many covet.

Too many Christians seek after what the world offers, ignoring the fact that “friendship with the world is hostility to God” (James 4:4). But a bit of realistic self examination and a glimpse into his own heart should convince anyone that they have no intrinsic right to happiness in this world. The doctrine of man’s inalienable right to happiness is anti-Christ and its widespread acceptance amongst Christians tells us a lot about the state of the Church.

The fact is that true happiness, for anyone, can only be found in handing over your life to Christ Jesus. If you get out of the way and let Christ take over, you will discover a new and dynamic meaning of the word “husband”. The meaning of life is not the pursuit of happiness, as the world would have you believe, but the pursuit of God in which, alone, lies true happiness and, more importantly, peace with God.