“Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from Him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God – truly righteous and holy.” (Ephesians 4:21-24 NLT)
Happiness is a fleeting emotion we seek to attach to moments of endearing pleasure that bring us some measure of satisfaction. We’re “happy” when our children behave, when we do well at work, when our spouse compliments us, or our old car lasts another year. While these moments encourage and sometimes inspire us, they don’t last, thus, the reason we can’t build our life on them.
In this season of my life, I place very little credence in moments of “happiness.” I’ve learned that what sustains and truly encourages me are moments of activated faith. What does that mean? It means I can’t trust my emotions to bring true and lasting peace and satisfaction. I’ve learned to trust that which endures, not only the test of time, but the test of rising and falling emotion.
Faith builds and sustains our life on a foundation that will prove true in the test of time. Faith centered and anchored in Jesus doesn’t quit when pain is intense, outlooks are bleak and the future unsure. It doesn’t tear us down when we fail and doesn’t expire when we don’t know the right answer or the right way to respond to a given situation.
Faith centers our hope on Jesus and HIS ability, not ours. We relax in the knowledge and full confidence that maybe we can’t, but He can! He is our focus and source of confidence; He is our strength in the face of ongoing weakness; He is our assurance when all the doors seem to be closing.
I’ve learned that contentment long term is found only in Jesus and a growing, thriving, maturing relationship with Him. That’s why Tony Reinke’s words caught my attention when he wrote: “The soul’s true happiness is no incidental byproduct of holiness. True happiness is true holiness.”
There’s a sense in which we could legitimately ask the question: “What is true holiness?” or “true” anything for that matter?” The word Paul used in Ephesians 4:24 in speaking of “true holiness,” means: “what is true in any matter under consideration; of a truth, in reality, in fact, certainly.” It means “true” holiness is what the Bible says about it.
It means to be set apart for sacred use by God, devoted and dedicated to living for godly purposes, to find our hope and well being in our love for and service to our Master, the Lord Jesus. Holiness as the Bible describes it means putting what the Lord wants for us ahead of what we think we want for ourselves.
At it’s core holiness means to allow the Lord Jesus to live His life in and through us without restriction or reservation. He’s Lord, we are not; He’s in charge, we are not; He calls the shots in our life, we do not: whatever He wants is okay with us because we trust His judgment more than we trust our own.
And, just so we’re clear, true holiness IS true happiness.
Food for thought.
Blessings, Ed 😊
Walking With Jesus 