Do we Want to Be Happy?

In a recent speech before a group of international researchers, [Ben] Bernanke talked about the difference between happiness -- a subjective and transitory feeling -- and well-being, which is a longer-term measure. He said that keys to finding long-term life satisfaction include "a strong sense of support from belonging to a family or core group and a broader community, a sense of control over one's life, a feeling of confidence or optimism about the future, and an ability to adapt to changing circumstances."



Reading this someone like me (whose husband reminds her--is a die hard pesimist) might think, well that's great! I am doomed to unhappiness in my life, because my well-being as defined by this "speaker" is totally unattainable! You see I don't have control over my life. I don't have a feeling of optimism over the future of my earthly life. I don't have the ability to force myself to feel feeling of contentment when everything is screaming out against the status quo of my life! So in a nut shell I am doomed!

Or am I?

Well, this is probably why I am a pessimist in terms of this earth.  However I have the optimism to hope for a new heaven and new earth that will not pass away, and a reward that is sitting in heaven for me. But I can see how this person speaking would make the assumptions he does based on simply a "we live and we die--end of story" mentality. 

One thing I have realized about my own country and even now about my own country's affect on my soul...Faith is Hard and near impossible in America. Even when you stand before a group of Christians and say you are only there before them because you believe in a sovereign and holy savior and you desire to live a life of obediance and faith. People just cannot actually take a "chance" on that idea when they have never seen a life that lived like that. No matter how many times they have read about the radical life of Jesus, seeing (in a sense) is believing.

Bernake knows this or else he wouldn't acknowledge that we as humans crave a sense of certainty. We want to know about tomorrow, next week, next month, next year, next decade, next three decades. But really is that even POSSIBLE? You know and are assured your job will sustain you throughout the length of your life? You know your relationship will stand the test of time? You know your children will be sucessful and healthy and safe forever? You can control this?!

Unforunately we're really just beating ourselves to death. We are setting up standards of happiness that can and will never be. We are saying that the only way to be happy is to have a strong family, control of our life, no fear of the unknown, and be extra flexible especailly when things royally suck! Are you at all surprised that millions of Americans are on anti depressants?

You know what keeps going through my mind? "Come to me all of you who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest." I know that this doesn't mean things will be easy in your life, this doesn't mean your relationships will be without conflict and strong as steal, it doesn't mean you will be more flexible, and it most assuridly doesn't mean you will more clearly see the control you have in your life....

But it says....Come to me....I will give you rest....

In other words, I will be the one in control and relieve you from responsiblity. I will be the one who deals with peoples sin ultimately. I will be the one who is love and perfect love casts out fear. I will call you to patience and gentleness and then give you the grace and knowledge to fulfill those roles. I will perform these "needs" and will free you up to be one thing....my follower.

The problem is not....do we really want to be happy....the problem is do we really want to be God?