The Lie We All Believe

Humans are essentially the same at our root. Our personalities and appearance appear different, but deep down we are very similar. And we all fall prey to the same lie: If you do/get/earn _______, then you’ll be happy.

How many times have you heard that statement? Heck, how many times have you told yourself that? If I had to guess I’d probably say a lot. We’ve all believed that lie. But that doesn’t mean we have to continue down that path.

Happiness isn’t an end goal, it’s a state of mind, a state of heart. It’s become so skewed that many of us think once we’re happy, life will magically be perfect and that’s just not true.

God doesn’t call us to be happy, He calls us to be Holy. And there is, infact, a huge difference. Happiness from the world will eventually leave you feeling drained. Happiness from holiness is completely void of self, it’s not about you or how you feel, but acting in accordance to God’s will. It will not lead to instant gratification, but the impact will last so much longer.

I think we should all realize that the world very rarely looks out for our best interests. It instill in us a sheep mentality, following whatever they say, even if it means to slaughter. God, however, always looks out for our best interest. He loves unconditionally and always acts for our betterment.

Happiness is one of the largest addictions we face. It’s what we all want and we’ll go to great, often dangerous, lengths to get it. In the end though, we’re all falling short of the true happiness we desire.

I challenge anyone reading this to really evaluate your life. Are you chasing happiness? Are you content with day to day life? Do you take matters into your own hands and will it to be yours? These are the things the world instills in us. To grind, push, to take what’s rightfully yours. But y’all I am here to tell you that is garbage.

Until you can appreciate your life for where you are, even if it is not where you want to be, “happiness” will evade you. You will feel stressed, anxious, and downright ungrateful and angry. But the thing is, happiness isn’t a lack of joy, it’s a lack of Jesus.

Unhappiness takes root in our gratefulness. When we rely on ourselves, that is when we don’t feel happy. It’s too heavy a burden and to be honest, was never ours to carry in the first place. Jesus brings peace, contentment, and a spirit of joy. That’s real happiness.

Don’t let the world fool you into thinking you can build/buy/grow happiness, you can’t. Dig into Jesus, even when you have questions or hurt. It’s okay to question and feel confused, but what we can’t allow ourselves to do is to stay in that place.

Talk with God, read your bible, let Him show you the answers to the questions you have. You are allowed to search and learn. You don’t have to figure it out on your own, but you do have to be intentional with the information you consume.

Happiness is a drug, but you don’t have to let it control your life. Choose to see past the lie. There is so much more to experience outside of the trap of happiness. Get uncomfortable and see what real life is all about. You might realize happiness isn’t all it’s chalked up to be after all.