Idolizing Happiness

Life might be be life-ing but God be God-ing!

Although I have often seen good results from the trials in my life, I have always been trial-averse. I’ve been the person who wants to avoid trials at all costs—hop, jump, skip, crawl—anything to avoid facing something hard and difficult. Especially after reaching a certain age, I felt as though I had already been through enough. What more could God want from me? If He loved me, He wouldn’t do this, I often thought. I didn’t want grace to take me through; I wanted to avoid it altogether. It’s been an interesting paradox—these trials have been the foundation of how God shows up and builds my faith, yet at the same time, I’ve found myself not wanting to face them because they’re so hard.

I set myself up for disappointment, always hoping to be happy and avoid trials. This mindset trapped me in a prison, preventing me from living freely, not realizing that God has me, and no trial could ever truly ruin me. So, I sought to escape reality, clinging to what I believed would make me happy. My escape became hours of watching TV and, more recently, turning to food for comfort. My mindset was, “I just need to get into heaven—keep the mansion, as long as I get in!” So short-sighted in my heavenly aspirations.

Did this stop the trials from coming? Oh no! Certainly not! And when they came, I often fought in prayer and supplication to overcome, but mixed in that process was sometimes a whole lot of “Why me, Lord?” I do firmly believe in the salvation of Jesus Christ, so I often get to where I need to be, but it’s often delayed because I'm wrestling with God!

I believed in my salvation, but I struggled to feel loved by God because I tied what was happening in my life to whether He loved me or not. I often saw God as a taskmaster, constantly refining me without tenderness. Oh, how wrong I was! I’m so happy that now I know differently.

It has been liberating to accept that life will have both valleys and mountaintops. Either way, with God by my side, I will be okay, no matter what! Getting to the place where His companionship in the trial is all I need was hard for me. Like I said, I felt that the all-powerful God could stop it instead. Why not stop it, Dad? I always knew that trials were necessary, but now it’s clearer than ever—because of what they will produce in me and for the furtherance of the Kingdom of God. You see, my life is not my own—I’m not central to this story; Jesus is.

The moment I realized this thing called life isn’t about me, things started to shift as my perspective shifted. It’s all about God’s Kingdom agenda, not my comfort. It’s also about who He wants me to become. The sooner you embrace life’s challenges, the more freely you can truly live, knowing that these challenges will never get the best of you, ever—because you know He is with you ALWAYS!

Let’s not idolize happiness but give our attention and praise to the Triune God! The centrality of it all is knowing that a time will come when there will be no more tears, no more pain, no more sickness. We cannot idolize our time here on earth because it is TEMPORARY!

"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."Jeremiah 29:11

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."James 1:2-4

"No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it."Hebrews 12:11

"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose."Romans 8:28

"I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but by Me."John 14:6

"Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die."John 11:25-26

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life."John 3:16

"He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”