Does God Care About My Happiness?
Posted by Jamaal Mills on
Across the board, we all possess the innate desire to pursue happiness. And we crave joy that derives from living a life of fulfillment in every area of our lives. But what do scriptures say about our happiness? In the book of John 16:24, it tells us that if we ask, we will receive, and our joy will be full. God’s design for humanity is to live a life that reflects his splendor and glory because there is fulfillment when we abide in Him. It’s the kind of joy that surpasses the small doses of temporary smiles. Happiness is fleeting. It’s dependent on what’s happening in our present. God doesn’t want to depend on brief moments of contentment. He wants us to abide in His love to live in a state of joy—the kind of joy that isn’t dependent on circumstances, people, or things.
Holiness over Happiness
Ecclesiastes 2:26, “To the person who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge, and happiness, but to the sinner, he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.”
The scriptures tell us that those who please God he bestows upon them wisdom, knowledge, and happiness. However, it’s interesting how in Ecclesiastes 2:26, it says the following. God helps the sinner prosper to hand the prosperity over to those who walk in righteousness before God. Although we might not know the inner workings of God, it is evident that God rewards our obedience. Obedience and choosing holiness is the key to encounter heavenly joy. So what does this mean for us? That we must die to our selfish nature and refrain from indulging in our desires. Why? Because sin is at the root of our sadness, fear, and numbness. Sin produces bondage and causes us to live in mental prisons. Feelings of unhappiness never come from God; they come from the consequences of sin and the bad decision we make.
Designed for Love
Psalm 139:13-14, “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful; I know that full well.”
When you are working on something that you love, you are meticulous, and you intend to be precise. Your intention will never be to produce something that you aren’t proud of; it’s the opposite. You perfect the work that has your devotion. When God created us, he knitted every part of our bodies. He designed our nature and a perfect plan for us to carry out. We were created in the intimacy of love and devotion to love and never to fear or anything that contradicts the nature of God. But humanity is flawed, and it’s because we are in a fallen state that we make mistakes and cling to unhealthy love patterns and addictions.
2 Timothy 1:7, “ For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love, and self-discipline.”
Our childhoods and home life breaks us down and paves the way to feelings of not measuring up and not being worthy of heavenly joy and freedom. We lack a sense of belonging and have many insecurities, but the word of God tells us that we are loved. We are designed with purpose, love, power, and the ability to have self-control.
“If we were knitted in the covenant of love, we are meant to love and abide in joy.”