Holy Not Happy

I wrote this originally as an email to my One In A Million bible study girls. In this weeks study, we are talking about putting God's purpose for our lives at the forefront instead of our own. This post is in response to that lesson! I know I've talked about these things before, but it is a lesson that bears repeating for all of us I think!

It's so easy isn't it? Just to want our lives to be happy and free from difficult circumstances altogether? But you know what? If our lives were that easy, I'd dare say that we'd not stop very often to really have a relationship with God. As sinful people, when things are going 'good' for us, we tend to forget all about God don't we?
But see. God isn't looking for our lives to be 'good' -- HE is looking for us to grow and become Holy like Jesus! HE is looking for us to long for HIM and have a real and intimate relationship with HIM. And that takes work! It takes us being willing to work through the difficulties in our lives and not just complain about them. He wants us to come to HIM and form a real relationship.
He also wants us to take the things we learn from HIM and apply it to our lives. In doing so, we become more like Jesus. More HOLY.
See, God isn't looking to make us happy. HE is looking to make us HOLY. More like HIM - more like HIS son. That is His purpose for our lives - holiness! Happiness is a wonderful thing but it depends on what is HAPPENING in our lives at the moment. It is hard to be happy when we are asking our "why" questions, isn't it?
But take heart! Because by spending the time with God that He deserves, by growing closer to HIM, by becoming more Holy - I think that we will have joy because the fruits of the Spirit working within us will show in our lives! And happiness, while different than joy, is a gift from the Lord - so be thankful for your happiness when you have it!

Being happy should never be our goal in life......being HOLY.....being more like our creator -- that should be our goal. The scripture reference she gave today is perfect! Read it again in the Message version:
Psalm 27:4 (The Message)


4 I'm asking God for one thing,
only one thing:
To live with him in his house
my whole life long.
I'll contemplate his beauty;
I'll study at his feet.

That is my prayer for you and for me this day! Let this be our only prayer -- because if this becomes our goal in life then we will truly be more Holy. We won't be able to help it. HIS holiness will rub off on us!!!

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. Grammy and Granddaddy are headed here for a visit this weekend and there is also a festival of sorts in our little town this weekend. A and M will be doing their musical theatre number tomorrow morning. SO, it looks like it is going to be a busy but fun weekend for us. Let's all pray that the rain holds off at least until late tomorrow afternoon!

in HIM-