A few years ago, I visited the house my grandparents lived in. It was a small, blue house in rural Pennsylvania, where they raised my dad and his four siblings. My grandfather, Kenneth, worked in a glass factory, was the chief of the volunteer fire department, and played softball lots of weekends. My grandmother, Jeanne, stayed home to care for both her household and for many needs within their community.
My grandparents knew nothing about iPhones, Netflix, or travel points. In fact, I don’t think they ever really traveled far from their small town of Saxonburg, but from stories their children tell, it’s clear: they were very happy people.
That visit made me think, As grateful as I am for all society’s advancements—have these advancements really made us happier? I researched to find the answer.
Every statistic I read proved that decades ago, boredom, self-pity, depression, and anxiety were much lower than they are today. We have more stuff, but we’re less happy. How could that be possible? Because happiness is not physical or emotional. It’s spiritual. Psalm 1:1-3 tells us so. This passage is full of wisdom, with each verse giving us one step on the path to living in true contentment.
The passage says: “Blessed [happy, joyful, satisfied] is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.”
So here’s how we find true happiness. First, we don’t become slowly comfortable living like everyone else. No matter how counter-cultural it feels, we know that living God’s way is what will ultimately bring us lasting joy. Second, we make a serious commitment to meditate on God’s word. We ROOT ourselves in it—meaning we: 1) Read the Bible, 2) Observe it, 3) Obey it, and 4) Think about it. When we take these two steps, we arrive at the last one—God gives us steady contentment throughout every season.
You might think, Pastor Geoffrey, I’ve been unhappy for so long. I’m not sure I’ll ever be happy again. If that’s you, I want to leave you with two thoughts. First, God cares about your happiness! He wants you to be content. That’s why He has given you the wisdom to get on the right path, and the grace to get back on track when you veer from it.
Second, living in contentment is a choice—your choice! So what will you choose?I hope you’ll choose to walk with Jesus—to live His Way and meditate on His word. When you do, you’ll find a contentment you can’t explain—one that follows you in season after season!
