Main Thought
Everyone wants to be happy! America was, in part, founded on the truth that people are entitled to “the preservation of life, and liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” However, most people have discovered that pursuing happiness can end in disappointment and heartbreak. That’s because pursuing happiness in temporary things can only produce temporary happiness. For this reason, God wants us to pursue happiness in eternal things instead. If we do, then we’ll be able to stay happy regardless of what our lives look like here on earth.
Main Passage
12 May all who are godly be happy in the Lord and crown him, our holy God.
- Psalm 97:12 (TLB)36 For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? 37 Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? 38 Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.
- Mark 8:36-38 (KJV)19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
- Matthew 6:19-21 (ESV)
Discussion Questions
Have you ever been heartbroken or disappointed after trying to find happiness in something temporary, or earthly? What happened and why did it disappoint you?
Think about the main things you’re pursuing right now. (Career achievements, comfort for your family, a relationship, a degree or diploma, etc.) Are they temporary, earthly things or permanent, eternal things?
How might pursuing something with an eternal reward affect your life? How can pursuing happiness in something eternal impact the lives of others around you?