Tuesday 21 October 2008

Pursuit of happiness

We started a new series on Sunday at MKCC called 'The pursuit of happiness'. Steve Adkins launched the series with a challenge to whether happiness is actually really the goal for us to pursue as it is often illusive (It's like 'trying to grasp a bar of soap'). Is your happiness driven by some kind of feeling or emotion alone and therefore if things don't go well for you your happiness is sabotaged. What is the real source of your happiness? Is there anything that could bring you joy even when things are not going so well?

I once heard someone say, 'Happiness is a by-product of of living a principled centred life, of making good decisions, of seeking good advice, of building good relationships and of course having a quality relationship with God. All this is true but the greatest source of my own person joy and happiness is in my personal relationship with Jesus Christ. It's in him that we find out who we are and what we are living for. It is all in Christ that we will find true joy, peace and happiness.

Yesterday, Billy and I attended the Thanksgiving service of Vernon Ralphs, a former Lecturer at Mattersey Hall and former pastor. The tributes were excellent and were united in around the theme of vernon's outstanding charater and commitment to serve the Lord with excellence. As I listened to those who spoke, it was evident that this man had found true happiness in placing Jesus Christ and his mission at the centre of his life with his family over and above possessions, power or prestige and there found joy and fulfilment knowing that one day his reward in heaven would be great.

As I listened I was reminded again how my life story is being written one day at a time...and with God's help, that story can be a masterpiece.

What makes you happy? Are you pursuing the right things? What is the centre of your life?

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