006 - Do More of What the Bible Says
Happiness. It’s the ultimate pursuit of the human life, right? I mean, we even boast the right to pursue happiness here in America - it’s the American Dream, after all. The American Dream in the post-pandemic world isn’t a level of power or salary, a suburban home with a white picket fence, or even unlimited PTO (paid time off). It’s happiness. Culture has moved past the materialism that the American Dream once afforded to a more internal dream of balance and love - we want to be happy, and that’s all that matters. Parents who may disagree with a teen or adult child’s choice of lifestyle but want to remain supportive will say, “I just want you to be happy.” And you know what, there’s nothing wrong with happiness! The problem is that happiness should not be your goal.
I know, I sound crazy, right? After all, you’re probably thinking, “God wants us to be happy.” Personally, I think He’s after our heart more than our happiness. Sometimes in order to get our heart to where it should be, it may temporarily cost us our happiness. It’s like when your child wants to go to the movies but didn’t finish the chores she promised she would do before going. It’s going to make her unhappy when I tell her she can’t go to the movies, but it will get to heart to understand the responsibility that accompanies the privilege of freedom and that our actions, or lack there of, have consequences. But that’s not why happiness shouldn’t be your goal.
Psychologists Dr. Cloud and Dr. Townsend explain in their renowned book on boundaries that happiness is a result, not a value to pursue or act on. John Mark Comer describes it in his book Live No Lies this way: “Happiness comes as a result of disciplined desire.” Happiness is then a byproduct and result of certain values that are pursued and acted on consistently. Happiness, when pursued as a value itself, will result in selfish decisions that land us in the exact opposite place of where we were hoping to be, often forfeiting our happiness for regret. However, when we pursue love, forgiveness, and holiness (to name a few values worth pursuing), the end result is - you guessed it - happiness. Often times we experience the result of happiness from consistent, moral living, and we begin to pursue happiness itself instead of continuing to live out the values that delivered happiness. That would be like spending a year at the gym and noticing the great results in your mirror when you flex only to stop going to the gym and continue flexing in the mirror thinking you’re going to continue getting results. In order to get the results, you have to go to the gym. In order to be happy, you have to pursue the right values.
So what’s the point? Well, that was just the intro. What I’m hoping you glean from it is that doing more of what you love isn’t actually going to deliver the happiness that you desire. However, doing more of what the Bible says will deliver much more than just the happiness you desire. As the check-in agent at the airport told me this morning as we moved some of my stuff from one overweight bag to a lighter bag to avoid the $100 weight-fee, “Now we’re cooking with gas.”
Ok, brace yourself, because we’re going to go at this head on. It may get a little uncomfortable, but if you’re familiar with my writing and speaking, you’re used to having your toes stepped on.
In order to do more of what the Bible says, you actually have to know what the Bible says. In order to know what the Bible says, you actually have to read the Bible. If you were to ask me what I’m reading right now, I would always respond with at least two answers: a book of the Bible and another book (or more) of choice. Right now I’m reading 1 Corinthians, Live No Lies (John Mark Comer), Whole (T. Colin Campbell), and Boundaries in Marriage (Henry Cloud and John Townsend). I don’t say that to display a sense of arrogance in any fashion, but I do say that to challenge you to be constantly growing in wisdom and truth. The Bible is a unique book to read, because it’s alive, it’s relevant, and it’s truth. There’s no right or wrong way to read it. You can’t do it quietly, aloud, prayerfully, in large chunks, in small and contemplative pieces, and in so many more ways. It will never return void, and it will transform your life when you put its wisdom into practice.
That brings us to what we’re actually talking about: putting the Bible into practice.
In my best estimation, every Christian I know is about 100 Bible verses overweight. We know way more Scripture than we actually practice. As a pastor, I’ve encountered a few skeptics who would tell me why the Bible doesn’t work for them. The story was pretty much the same each time: they heard people boast about how the Bible changed their lives, so they read it and it didn’t do anything to them. My response to them, and to you if you’re in that boat, was/is: How much of what you read did you actually do? The Bible will transform your life when you do what it says. It’s profound approach to living has stood unrivaled throughout the ages, delivering a deep sense of purpose and joy that are resilient in any circumstance. Putting it into practice makes you a better spouse, a better friend, a better parent, a better human. And who doesn’t want to marry, hire, befriend, accompany, enjoy, pursue, promote, and love that type of person? Doing more of what the Bible says can only result in the betterment of everything and everyone in your life, especially you!
When we do more of what the Bible says, it doesn’t just change our lives, it changes those around us too. Isn’t that so kind of God? When we live in faithful obedience, He blesses others as He blesses us, and we get to be a part of their blessing. That’s where it all comes full circle and delivers happiness that we can’t chase, we can only receive.
Don’t listen to a society that’s telling you to do more of what you love to pursue happiness. Do more of what the Bible says, and you’ll receive so much more than mere happiness.
