“Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn
“‘a man against his father,
a daughter against her mother,
a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law —
a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’
a daughter against her mother,
a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law —
a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’
God wants
us to find happiness and fulfillment through our relationship with Jesus
Christ. That relationship with Christ
takes away our fears of:
- Death
- Loneliness
- Unfulfillment
- Unforgiveness
However, to
be truly a follower of God, he requires that we SACRIFICE our lives. Sometimes that means we can't do what we
want. We may think that by not doing
what we want, our lives are not happy.
God may close doors we want to open.
God may say no to sins that we enjoy.
Also, by
proclaiming ourselves as Christians, we will create DIVISIONS between other
relationships on earth - some of them family members. People won't like us, making us unhappy.
The
Beatitudes in Matthew 5 give examples of a life with Christ filled with hurt -
mourning, hunger, thirst, persecution.
Again, Jesus never promised to take them away, but promised a blessing
for those who get through them.
In fact the
term "Blessed are those who mourn" seems like a contradiction. It is saying "Happy are those who hurt
for the loss of a loved one." Both
emotions are running simultaneously - happiness and mourning - telling
followers that you mourn with hope.
God cannot
take away ALL disease, affliction or difficulties during our lifetime on
earth. We live in an IMPERFECT WORLD
that has difficulties. Everyone living
will die at some point.
"He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” Revelation 21:4
God never promises
to take away tears and hurt until we arrive in HEAVEN. Only then will we find true happiness, found
in an environment free of anything that can snatch our joy away. Until then, we must rest in the faith and
know that God is watching over us and will never leave us.
That thought alone should make you happy.