Would it not be great if you could always do what you want to do? Wouldn’t that make you happy? You might think so. But if you always did what you wanted, you would never get what you really want.
Our culture encourages us to not deny ourselves any good pleasure. Do what makes you happy! Do what feels good! Follow your passion! We indulge ourselves but so many people are miserable even though they do the things that make them happy.
The problem is that what I want now is not always good for me. By chasing after instant gratification, I am denying myself long-term satisfaction. That chili dog might be what I want right now but is not going to be what I want a few hours later. That new phone might be the thing I want now but when I am paying back the debt, I realize that it was not what I wanted later. And later is longer. Every regret in life begins with two words: “I want!”
Sometimes you need to do the hard thing that you don’t want to do but need to do. The Latin root for passion is “pati.” It means to suffer. We think that passion is about doing what makes us happy. But passion is more about what we are willing to suffer. It is about what we are willing to give up. Passion is having vision beyond the temporary pleasures of this world for things that are more eternal. Passion is a willingness to endure in the short term.
Jesus did not want to go to the cross. He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane
“Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me.”
Who would want to go through what Jesus went through? But Jesus continues,
“Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” (Luke 22:42, ESV)
Jesus knew there was a greater reward. And that was greater reward was a fuller heaven. Hebrews tells us that he endured the cross because of the joy that was set before him. That joy was you and me together with him in eternity.
There is a difference between joy and happiness. Happiness is based on temporary circumstances. Happiness is an emotion and emotions are fleeting. There are things in life that make me happy and things that make me sad. Happiness does not last. But there is something that does last and that is joy. Joy is a state of being. I can be sad for a variety of reasons but still have joy knowing I have God in my life. Knowing that Jesus has overcome the things that make me sad. And knowing that Jesus has prepared a home in heaven for me.
Leave a Reply