It's common to hear people say, "I just want to be happy." And who doesn't? It's certainly much better to be happy than sad. Good times are better to experience than bad. But pursuing happy is a little off the mark. It's like trying to grab smoke.
Whenever we make happiness our goal, we set ourselves up for a futile chase. First, we do something that we think will make us happy. Then, once that pleasure is through, we move on to the next. Usually, the pleasures have to escalate to continue to satisfy, and we find ourselves in an endless climb. From pleasure to pleasure we go, never rea
lly finding happiness.
The paradox is that happiness comes from living according to the highest picture we have of ourselves, not from pursuing and receiving pleasure. Everybody has an image in their mind of who they are and what they stand for. Sometimes our actions verify this inner image, and sometimes they run counter to it. This is where our spirituality comes in. The proper picture of ourselves is from God's perspective. Our perspective will always be a little flawed, skewed, and biased. We either tend to think we are better than we are, or we think horribly of ourselves. But our Creator has the true picture, and the closer we get to understanding what the Bible says about who we are, about "who's" we are, and about what we are here to do, the more we can understand what the accurate picture of ourselves should be. Happiness then comes from living according to this accurate and true picture of ourselves.
Interestingly, this results in large part in service to God and to others. When we are faithful in this service, in which we may or may not find "pleasure", we will, however, find happiness! It's such a strange paradox, but I believe you'll find it to be true. It's one of the reasons that serving other people works so well to lift your spirits when you are down. Tis much better to give than to receive. But every time we give, we actually receive at the same time. It can't be helped. Happiness will find you there!
Leadership ultimately ends up being about service to others. That's why most leaders you meet, even if in the middle of strife and surrounded by obstacles, are actually very happy. They might not be the biggest consumers of pleasure in our society, but they generally have a corner on the market of happiness! I guess it's one of God's rewards to those of you who give of yourself in the service of others. God bless those of you who are out there learning and growing, seeking to expand in your leadership ability, and looking for ways to make your gifts count in the lives of others! May you experience all the happiness your pursuit earns you!
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