“The secret of life is enjoying the passage of time.”

Though these are not the words of Scripture, they definitely hold an element of truth (thank you, James Taylor). 

Is that truly the secret to life – just being content in the moment? What brings true enjoyment? When was the last time you can say you were truly happy? I had fun listening to my students answer this question last week as we discussed the topic of happiness. We laughed that most of their happy situations revolved around really good food! But many of those moments also had to do with people who meant a lot to them.

Every human desires happiness. We all seek things that we hope will give us pleasure, whether it be relationships that we enjoy, jobs that we find meaningful, homes that make us comfortable, possessions that bring us satisfaction, or leisure activities that we find relaxing and fun. God provides us with many blessings on this earth that we are able to find happiness in.

I am thankful for the blessings that I get to enjoy every day. But I must recognize them for what they are – temporary. Because what about when something or someone we love dearly is taken away? What then? The pleasurable things of this earth are fragile and fleeting. They can be here one minute, and gone the next. I know this firsthand, because losing Lexi has brought on heartache that I still feel every day. The things we love and enjoy in this world cannot be guaranteed. Should we put so much value in them?

One day when I was deep in my grief after losing Lexi, I felt the presence of God close to me, and then felt a realization come over me: “She was mine all along.” I suddenly was hit with the awareness that Lexi belongs to God, not me. He created her, and He loves her even more than I do. He gave her to me for a time, for which I will be forever grateful, and I will see her again someday. But truly, everything on this earth that we enjoy belongs to God. It’s all just “on loan.”

It’s so important to keep this perspective in our lives! It points us to God as the owner and giver of all good things, and reminds us to live in complete gratitude to Him.

Boethius, a philosopher of the early Middle Ages, makes a thought-provoking argument when it comes to happiness. He points out that we know God is supreme, and we know He is good; therefore, we can draw the conclusion that He is the Supreme Good. If happiness is good, He is also the source of happiness – true and perfect happiness. Knowing this, and knowing that we as humans naturally desire happiness, why would we not seek God above all else?

This seems so obvious! But we easily get swept up with all the things we have on this earth. We must keep our minds continually focused on things that are eternal. Colossians 3:2 tells us: “Set your minds on things that are above, not on earthly things.”

Boethius concludes, as he sits in prison awaiting his death for being wrongly accused of treason, that true happiness can only be found in things that cannot be taken away. 

Happiness to be forgiven of my sins. It is to be loved and cared for by my Creator. It is to know I will live eternally with Him someday. It is to grow together with a community of other believers. It is to walk with God through each day, come what may.

“Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.” Psalm 37:4