 The
Shepherd's Staff is written by Pastor Bob Middleton
and is a weekly feature in the Sunday Bulletin.
July 20, 2008
"His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant!
You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge
of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!"
Matthew 25:23
 Are
you happy? I recently read an article online entitled, "How
much is enough?", which dealt with money and it's impact on
happiness The question was asked because most recent studies on
happiness have shown that increased wealth doesn't increase a person's
or society's happiness. In fact one study reported recently that
people with assets over $10 million were no happier than the Inuit
people of Northern Greenland or the Masai people in Kenya; people
groups who had no running water. In fact the average US citizen
has 3 times as much financial wealth as they did in 1950 in adjusted
dollars, yet happiness hasn't increased at all.
So what is the answer to that question for you? And is happiness
really what you should want? Many of us mistakenly believe that
if we can do better financially we will be happier. So we work
harder and put in more time only to find out that the extra money
provides only happy "moments" instead of making us happier.
Jesus only made one reference to happiness in all of His recorded teachings
and that was in the Master's happiness when the servant served well in Matthew
25. The Apostle Paul never taught on how to be happy and made only brief passing
references to it at all. It seems that happiness is a byproduct of doing things
well and something that shouldn't necessarily be strived after. Instead Jesus
seems to advocate finding my "life" through giving it for other people.
This life can produce happiness but that isn't its main objective. Rather this
life produces a deep satisfaction that I am living in a way that blesses my
Creator and the rest of His creation. Happiness is fleeting; it is often dependent
on circumstances. But this satisfaction can be sustained in any situation and
at any time, because it's main goal is something that nothing on this earth
can touch. Instead of happiness, look to serve our Master, Jesus Christ well
and you will find happiness seems to tag along. |
