Happiness and head-banging
Did you ever want to shake someone?
No, not literally. Well, okay, maybe literally, but not hard enough
to cause permanent damage.
Why do I ask? Because I just wanted to
shake someone. There I was, scrolling down my Facebook page (yes, I
know) when I saw a quote from the Dalai Lama being shared by one of
my Christian Facebook friends. Now, before you start in at me about
how we can find truth and wisdom everywhere, and that Christians
don't have a monopoly on either – yes, I agree. Nobody is always
wrong about everything, except for that one guy. You probably know
him (or her).
But my problem wasn't with the fact
that a Christian was sharing a quote from the Dalai Lama. My problem
was with the quote itself. “The purpose of our lives is to be
happy.”
It took every ounce of my will to not
type “no it isn't” and hit the enter key. The only reason I
didn't is because I know it would have led to much more heat than
light, because, sadly, that's the currently popular mindset.
If you're not happy with your job, quit
and get another one (although only the brave and the foolhardy quit a
job in today's economy). If you're not happy with your house, sell
it and get another one. If you're not happy with your car, your
furniture, your church, or your husband (or wife), get another one.
Instant gratification has become the
ruling philosophy of our time. I have to deal with it with my
children almost constantly. They always “need” the next, the
newest, the coolest. My response is invariably “then save your
money until you can afford one.”
The problem with that advice is that I
don't immediately follow it up by placing the boys into a sealed room
with no television or internet access. It never takes more than a
few days for them to see something that they just HAVE to buy.
Occasionally, when I remind them that they were saving up for this or
that, they'll have an “Oh yeah” moment and pass up whatever it
was that caught their eye. Most often, however, the “need” for
whatever it is overwhelms them, and they crumble like a stale cookie.
Some of you are probably asking
yourselves why I allow the kids to spend their money in this fashion.
I have found that slowly, bit by bit, when they realize that their
need for instant gratification has destroyed their plans, they learn
just a bit more patience. The next time, they have to think the
decision over just a bit longer before they give in and waste their
money. Occasionally, they even decide to stick with their plans. I
believe (or at least I hope) that learning the dangers of spending
frivolously now will help them avoid the pitfalls when there's more
at stake than being able to buy the newest Playstation game.
You expect children to behave rashly,
to have a need for instant gratification. Today, however, adults
have the same mindset. But as I read my Bible, I don't find
anywhere the notion that the purpose of my life is to make myself
happy. In fact, I read that I'm supposed to deny myself, take up my
cross and follow Jesus. I'm supposed to nurture my children and love
my wife. I'm supposed to allow God to bring my desires into line
with His desires, and to realize that I'm not the main character in
the story.
The simple fact of the matter is, the
purpose of my life is to make God happy.
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