Today's world is all about making ourselves "happy" and this is so sad and unfulfilling, especially for Christians.

Jesus was so wrought with anxiety in the garden the night before He was crucified so much so that in His anguish He prayed earnestly and He sweat drops of blood. (Luke 22:44) According to medical experts this is exactly what can happen to our bodies due to major anxiety.

It doesn't appear that He was happy going to the cross, and prayed “Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done,” as He talked to His Father, Almighty God. (Luke 22:42)

The cup He is referring to is the suffering for ALL the sins of the world, and He was perfect, without sin, and for the first time ever, the separation He would face while taking on our sins, from His Father God. (Hebrews 4:15, Matthew 27:46)

Hebrews 12:2 AMP-[looking away from all that will distract us and] focusing our eyes on Jesus, who is the Author and Perfecter of faith [the first incentive for our belief and the One who brings our faith to maturity], who for the joy [of accomplishing the goal] set before Him endured the cross, disregarding the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God [revealing His deity, His authority, and the completion of His work].

Jesus looked past the pain and suffering that He knew He would endure, none of which He deserved in any way, shape, or form. He didn't want to experience the pain and suffering yet He wasn't concerned with whether or not He was happy or content with His pending death, but rather He was more concerned with being obedient to His Father, The LORD God Almighty, and fully put His trust and faith in Him, knowing that the outcome of His obedience on The Cross would be His Resurrection from the dead by the power He had over sin and death given to Him by God The Father, Who then welcomed Him home to heaven where He sits at God's right hand to forever rule!

He knew the outcome would be victory, because that is what God had promised, even though the path there would be death and separation from God The Father. But He looked past all of that because of what the outcome would be. The joy set before Him was any of those who have wholeheartedly accepted Him into our lives and made Him The LORD of our lives by obeying His Word and living all out for Him!

Paul, who I believe wrote Hebrews but not worth arguing about, also tells us in Hebrews 12:2, that we are to “look away from ALL that will distract us,” and that would include the deception of happiness in anything and everything that is of this world.  Anything that can keep us away from focusing on Jesus and doing what He’s commanded us in His Word is a distraction by satan.

2 Corinthians 11:14-15-No wonder, for even satan disguises himself as an angel of light. [15] Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their deeds. 

Paul clearly warns us here of how deceitful satan is, He can disguise himself as an angel of light, an angel that appears to be from God, and his angels, demons, can do the same.  Satan and his demons will do anything they can to make us feel good about anything that does not agree with God and His Word, to get us off track of living wholeheartedly for Him, to make us think we have all the time in the world, and to give us whatever we think will please us outside of what God has for us.  He will get us to doubt anything and everything in God’s Word just like he’s been doing since the Garden of Eden.

Remember Jesus was full of anxiety before going to the cross, yet He looked beyond the cross and saw what was ahead of Him after the cross, those who have made Him LORD of their lives forever joining Him in heaven!  He understood God’s promises and was obedient no matter what.  We too have the promises of God and unfortunately rarely remember most of them, at least according to how we live our lives, though we seem to remember them either incorrectly or just the ones that we want to claim!

We aren’t called to make ourselves happy, we’re commanded to love God and Jesus said that if we love Him we will keep His commandments.  (Matthew 22:37, John 14:15)  Yes, there will be times of joy, peace, etc in our lives while on this earth, but that’s a bonus.

Jesus tells us in Matthew 16:24-27 AMP-Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to follow Me [as My disciple], he must deny himself [set aside selfish interests], and take up his cross [expressing a willingness to endure whatever may come] and follow Me [believing in Me, conforming to My example in living and, if need be, suffering or perhaps dying because of faith in Me]. [25] For whoever wishes to save his life [in this world] will [eventually] lose it [through death], but whoever loses his life [in this world] for My sake will find it [that is, life with Me for all eternity]. [26] For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world [wealth, fame, success], but forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? [27] For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory and majesty of His Father with His angels, and THEN HE WILL REPAY EACH ONE IN ACCORDANCE WITH WHAT HE HAS DONE.

Jesus tells us here that those who die to the desires of their flesh and daily take up their cross and follow Christ understand the sacrifice that The LORD is calling us too which may lead to us suffering and possibly even death, and that our reward is waiting for us in heaven.

Peter tells us in 1 Peter 2:11-12 AMP-Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers [in this world] to abstain from the sensual urges [those dishonorable desires] that wage war against the soul. [12] Keep your behavior excellent among the [unsaved] Gentiles [conduct yourself honorably, with graciousness and integrity], so that for whatever reason they may slander you as evildoers, yet by observing your good deeds they may [instead come to] glorify God in the day of visitation [when He looks upon them with mercy].

We’re told that this world and all that is in it, is NOT our home, we are aliens and strangers just passing through.  If while wholeheartedly following The LORD we get to experience things in this world that can temporarily bring us some joy or happiness and doesn’t hinder us or take us away from going into all the world and making disciples (Hebrews 12:1, Matthew 28:19-20), that’s great, but it will NEVER last. 

Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 5:9-10 AMP-Therefore, whether we are at home [on earth] or away from home [and with Him], it is our [constant] ambition to be pleasing to Him. [10] For we [believers will be called to account and] must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be repaid for what has been done in the body, whether good or bad [that is, each will be held responsible for his actions, purposes, goals, motives—the use or misuse of his time, opportunities and abilities].

Only what’s done for Jesus is eternal and true happiness for a true believer will only come once we get home and see Jesus face to face and hear these words from Jesus in Matthew 25:23.  His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful and trustworthy over a little, I will put you in charge of many things; share in the joy of your master.’

We need to get serious about serving The LORD in all we say and do and live our lives full out for Him so that those around us can see Him in us and be drawn to Him by our behavior.  Even if they don’t, we need to make sure that we are never the reason they choose not to follow Him, but rather because they refuse to realize and accept the truth of Christ that is played out in every moment of every day in our lives.  (1 Peter 2:11-12) 

DO WHAT GLORIFIES GOD!!

Please don't hesitate to reach out to us with any questions, prayer requests, etc.  We'd love to pray with and for you and to the best of our ability answer any questions you may have soley using God's Word!

Love y’all and LORD Bless,

Curt & Mary Jo