Pursuit of Happiness
Finding Satisfaction for The Soul
Unmet Expectations
April 10, 2022 • Chan Mitchell
Everybody knows how unmet expectations can lead to disappointment, discouragement, and doubt. Unmet expectations can make us doubt God’s love and His good intentions. Questions like “Does God even care about my desires?” can erode our trust and diminish our hope (Proverbs 13:12). If we leave these responses unaddressed, we risk falling into a constant state of discouragement and negativism. When Jesus entered into Jerusalem, He was greeted by cheers and shouts of praise. Some thought He came to be a powerful reigning king or a mighty general who would wage war against an oppressive government. When those expectations went unmet, triumph quickly led to a trial, and excitement turned to an execution on a cross.
Comfort + Security
April 3, 2022 • Chan Mitchell
Convenient. Controllable. Predictable. These are words that we would love to use to describe our life. These are words that lead to comfort, security and certainty. But what if the comfort and certainties we crave are a recipe for complacency and laziness that draw our hearts further from God rather than closer? One of the ways God seems to refine spiritual complacency is through suffering, hardship, and difficulty. Throughout Scripture, it seems God is more interested in making His people holy rather than keeping them happy…and many times that process involves suffering. No one enjoys suffering or hardship, but they produce a spiritual endurance that cannot be achieved any other way (Romans 5:3-5). Therefore, it may be necessary to sip from the cup of suffering today, so we don’t have to drown in the devastations of tomorrow.
Wealth
March 27, 2022 • David Haight
We all know that we can’t make through day to day life without using money. Yet, when we look at the pages of the Gospels, Jesus talks about money more than any other subject. Why is that? Jesus is not calling His people to retreat or withdraw from the market, banks, or using currency. Rather Jesus is warning us how easily the pursuit of money and wealth can ensnare us into addiction and slavery. However, some of us still probably think just a “little more wealth” would go a long way. King Solomon was the richest man in history. He had a lot to say in his poetic reflections on the emptiness of wealth.
Approval
March 20, 2022 • Chan Mitchell
When we pursue approval from others as a source of happiness or validation, we give them an authority over our lives that was meant only for the Lord. In essence, we’re asking them to tell us who we truly are. Not only does this dishonor God, who alone is our Creator, but gives too much weight to what others think about us. Even the person who knows us best on earth still doesn’t know us as well as our Heavenly Father. We cannot put ourselves under Christ if we also put ourselves under the approval of others. That’s like serving two masters. We will either love the one and hate the other or be devoted to one and despise the other. It’s impossible to please everyone, but it is possible to please God by seeking His approval alone.
Perfectionism
March 13, 2022 • Chan Mitchell
We all want a happy life. To find that happy life many people pursue things like a new job, a new home, a bigger vacation, or a bigger bank account. However, a job can be lost, a car can stop running, vacations are only temporary, and money can disappear. What happens to our happiness when the things we pursued passionately are gone? Perfectionism is one of the things we often pursue to secure happiness or peace, only to discover that it is a trap that distracts and discourages us from the very One who truly satisfies our soul – Jesus Christ. Perfectionism causes us to reject any standard or outcome unless it meets our definition of perfection.