The Idol Called Happiness

Posted at January 7, 2010

This one threw me for a loop.

Happiness… an idol?

I didn’t have to look far within myself to see how much energy I put into trying to be happy. It almost makes me wonder how long I’ve been undertaking such a pointless endeavor.

Ok now here we go. Happiness… a pointless endeavor?

Strong, bad tasting wording I know, but please keep reading!

So here it is. We all want to be happy. We have a desire to be happy. I don’t know of anyone who doesn’t want to be happy and I’m pretty sure that anyone who says they don’t want to is merely saying that because they’ve spent so much time being unhappy and so much energy trying to obtain happiness – that they just don’t want it anymore.

So we can go from wanting happiness, to not wanting it?

If we get “happiness” how long does it last? Until another area of our life demands that we place happiness on a shelf and try to make that new area happy instead? Is there any way to keep all areas, all parts of our being completely happy all the time?

That right there sounds like a pointless endeavor to me.

I think I want to spend all that time and energy on something else.

I’ve had my share of really awful moments in life, so much so that I personally have been on a happiness quest for about 10 years now. Am I happy? Today yes! Yesterday, I was miserable. Sounds like happiness isn’t as committed to this “relationship” as I am.

So if I’m pouring almost a decade of life and energy into “happiness” just to find that one day I’m unhappy and the next I am happy. That means right away that in 10 years I have 3,650 days of happiness, unhappiness, or any combination thereof. Not to mention that I could be happy in the morning but not happy in the evening. That doubles the figure! Ok so what about hours? That’s 87,600 chances of feeling “happy.”

Again, this is feeling really pointless about now.

What if I had taken that energy and time and invested in someone else’s life? What if I had written a song for every hour? What if… just what if I used that energy to tackle my to-do list? Wow… I would be really bored right now instead of fighting the urge to think about all the things I have to do after this, such as buy turkey for my lunch sandwich and get back to work.

What if I had put all that time and energy into a relationship with Jesus?

Now that makes me free-fall into a moment of “spiritual opportunity cost.”

So based on these feelings – it feels (ha) like this means that I am submitting my time, energy, and life-span for that matter… into something that is extremely fickle, doesn’t care what the result is, and is dependent on an infinite amount of factors.

I am submitting… that sounds like happiness then has some “authority” or “power” over me. It also seems that I “submit” blindly, knowing that I can’t figure this out, that I can’t control it, and that it actually takes away things from me. This sounds like an “idol” and some form of twisted “happiness worship.”

Check out the definition of “idol” over at Merriam Webster ( Click here. Opens in a new window. )

So wait, now happiness is an “idol?”

Before this sentence turns you off, happiness is only an idol if you let it be! If you submit to it, give it your all, give it blind faith. If you recognize it as merely a “word” describing a “state of being” then you’re fine. If you chase after it, base your life on how much of it you have/don’t have etc, then yes it is an “idol.”

So that’s enough talk from me, what does God’s Word have to say about this? Let’s take a look:

Matthew 10:39

39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

Matthew 16:25-26

25 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 26 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?

Mark 8:34

34 And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

Matthew 11:28-30

28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Proverbs 10:22

22 The blessing of the Lord makes rich,
and he adds no sorrow with it.

Psalm 40:8

8 I delight to do your will, O my God;
your law is within my heart.”

Matthew 5:3-12

3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

5 “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

James 1:2-8

2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

1 Timothy 6:1

6:1 Let all who are under a yoke as slaves regard their own masters as worthy of all honor, so that the name of God and the teaching may not be reviled.

Philippians 4:10-12

10 I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. 11 Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. 12 I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.

I’m really going to try and submit my “happiness” to Jesus from now on. I’m tired of trying to “build” happiness. Besides, if you are “building” happiness is it the real thing? Is it reality? Or just something you made. After all if we could just make happiness, then why are we seeking it?

God is Good.
Jesus is Life,
-Randall