You were made for joy, not happiness

​I listened to a hard hitting sermon yesterday morning. It hit me hard because I'm a Christ follower - and sometimes this Christ follower finds himself complaining more than I'd like to.

The sermon helped spell out the difference between joy and happiness. Happiness, pastor Brad Hoffmann said, is something we pursue. It's the new house or truck or video game or phone upgrade. It's the worldly things that bring fleeting pleasure.

Anyone have things in their life they once couldn't wait to own - just certain those things would make them happy - and now days or months or years can go by without you even thinking of those things? 🙋‍♂️

On the other hand, he said, joy is found in our relationship with God. And since we never lose access to that relationship, we always have the opportunity to choose joy. Joy is never fleeting. In fact, the pastor said - "joy takes up residence in us."

He made me think of God - and joy - like a neighbor. Just because I choose not to visit them doesn't mean they don't live there. Just because my life gets too busy outside my neighborhood to pay attention to the neighbor, doesn't mean the neighbor has quit paying attention to me.

The reality is, the world is unreliable. If we get to depending on the things we order on Amazon to make us happy, well those things can be stuck on a ship in the pacific ocean for months. If we get to relying on perfect health to make us happy, well hello COVID. If we get to depending on a political party to make us happy, along comes an election. If we get to relying on people in our lives to make us happy, sometimes people disappear.

God doesn't disappear. God doesn't get unelected. We may not choose him, but he is still choosing us.

I know not everyone has this relationship with God. I know not everyone buys into the belief that God has taken up residence in them. God can be a tough neighbor to get to know. Especially if we get to valuing happiness more than we do joy.

I spent a lot of my life pursuing happiness. The result was a lot of unhappiness that led me to seek out more things - often more destructive things - to cope with my unhappiness.

But as the pastor pointed out yesterday, "you weren't made for happiness, you were made for joy."

It's the perfect reminder this Christmas season. That baby in a manger, he wasn't a gift - he IS a relationship. That baby in a manger, he wasn't sent to create a happily ever after - he was sent to be a source of eternal joy.

A friend sent me a text message yesterday. It said, how are you? I responded, I'm not happy, but I'm choosing joy.

I'm making a commitment this week. If I find myself tempted to complain about something, I'm going to hear that as a reminder to choose joy. If I find myself tempted to complain this week, I'm going to hear that as a reminder that I'm relying on things to make me happy that can't be relied on.

I'm going to hear it as a reminder to go home - go home where Joy has taken up residence.