One of the stated goals I hear over and over as a pastor is “I just want to be happy.” When I delve deeper into what that means for the person, I start to realize it’s a moving target that they will never hit because once they get close to it, they start to want something else. Yet, people endlessly pursue it because they are so unhappy with their life. Jesus tells us that doing the will of God should be our aim, and it will bring what our heart needs.
John 6:40
“For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.”
Believe in Jesus
God’s will is that everyone believes in His Son and is resurrected to eternal life when He returns. That’s pretty profound. We make it a lot more complicated than it really is. Believe in Jesus and live by faith each day and let God take care of the rest. If we worried less about the details and focused more on the big picture, a lot of the stress and worry would go away.
Continue on the Path
Too many people want a neon sign telling them what to do when it comes to the big decisions in their lives. Who should I marry? What career path should I pursue? Should I move or stay where I am? If God isn’t answering those questions, then continue on the path you are on and be faithful in what you have been given. Trusting God to take care of the rest will relieve you of all of the wasted hours obsessing over it.
Doing the Will of God
Our finish line is heaven, not a nice house or perfect mate. If God blesses us with those, then take time to thank Him. If not, then continue doing what He has you doing right now. I understand you may not be happy, and life may be difficult, but here is a secret to life that few will let you in on. Happiness is not a goal. Faithfulness is. Happiness comes from being faithful to God in what He has given you. Stop focusing on trying to be happy and start being faithful.