Jesus said in John 10:10, 10…I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.
Jesus had many purposes under the umbrella of his ministry and one of those purposes was not only to make it possible for us to live again after we die, but also, to truly live while we are in the here and now, or as He put it, to have life abundantly.
A while back I was sitting in a waiting room that had a television on and I wasn’t particularly paying attention until I heard the interviewer ask the interviewee, a famous celebrity, the question, “Are you a happy person?” To which he replied, that not only is he a happy person, but that he has also discovered the secret to happiness in this life.
He had my attention. I did not expect him to say something that I believed to be true. I didn’t expect him to say something that I found profound, but I was wrong. He said this, “The secret to happiness isn’t in any of the things that the world tells you. Happiness isn’t about money or fame or power. Then he said something that made perfect sense. He said, “Happiness is having something to look forward to.”
Eternal implications came to my mind first, because what is the Christian’s ultimate happiness other than one day seeing Jesus face to face?
But there were also temporal implications. I found that statement to be true every way that I looked at it, but it’s not beneficial every way you look at it. It’s certainly not Christian every way you look at it.
Many find a form of happiness in this life because they look forward to things that in no way glorify God and are in many cases, things that are not beneficial, but harmful.
As I have matured in my faith and relationship with Jesus, the things that motivate me have changed. I never would have dreamed that my greatest motivations would be ministry related.
I am happier now than I’ve ever been because of Jesus. I get to study God’s Word all of the time, a giant personal blessing, in and of itself, but I also get to share what I’ve learned with you, which multiplies my joy exponentially.
I look forward to all of the activities of the church. I look forward to supporting missions financially and going on mission trips to Honduras and Westview Boys Home.
I still look forward to personal camping and hiking trips and family vacations, but unlike in my younger years, I now seek to glorify God in all things.
On a more day to day level, I look forward to personal conversations, of seeing the faces of the church. I look forward to good food, and especially good food shared among friends and loved ones.
What do you look forward to? If happiness is having something to look forward to, then the best forms of happiness in this life are found in the things that bring God the most glory because they are they things that are caught up in loving Him and loving others.
Much love!
Wes LeFlore (918) 607-8489 or huskerwes1@gmail.com
