Harping on Happiness.

{The joy of the Lord is our strength. // All our hope is found in Him.}

Everyone wants to be happy. Unfortunately, we as a modern society have turned happiness into a fierce show. Our lives have become balancing acts in the three-ring circus of social media, and we will stop at nothing to validate the worth of our charades. Admittedly, I have pulled as many strings as the next puppeteer, grasping to prove my life as amusing as previous acts. However, resulting ratings never fully satisfy the desire within me to be appreciated, seen and known. I always end up sulking like a sad clown with popped balloons waiting for his next big break - you know, I sit alone eating nachos in bed at 1 pm, scrolling through Instagram hoping I'll someday hike a taller mountain or visit a bigger city than the people I recognize only by username. And so, while social media is in no way innately evil, the obsessing and striving associated with public networks are indefinitely unhealthy for our souls.

Originally today's blog challenge featured a list of things that make me happy, but as I pondered the fleeting nature of happiness I decided I would rather write a post about joy. The difference? Happiness is external and fleeting; joy is internalized and lasting. Human lips cannot taste the bitter-sweet collision of happiness and sadness because such a flavor does not exist. Our souls, however, ca simultaneously experience sadness and joy. Where happiness escapes, joy dwells. If we build our lives on material things that make us feel happy, everything we know will collapse beneath our feet. Yet if we seek abstract experiences that give us joy, we will find ourselves standing firm on the rock, unwavering in storms, for Jesus is the very joy we seek.

A little friendly competition probably never killed anybody, but living a lifestyle of constant comparison chains us to a ball of insecurity and fear. When we buy the ticket lie that says we are not as adventurous and beautiful, or even as holy as the person whose pictures appear before and after ours in an Instagram lineup, we forfeit the strength of our identity in Christ. We allow ourselves to begin forgetting the splendor of Christ in all His unique creations, particularly the wonder of Him that exists within ourselves.

Let me admit to you, friends, that staying home this summer while my friends go into the nations has left me with unfamiliar doubts and insecurities, amplified by the social media shows of my traveling acquaintances. I have wondered if I am enough for the Kingdom without selfies in the ghetto to showcase my service, and I have wrestled with the fear that I am being selfish for choosing a season of rest and time with family over long days of blazing sun and loving an impoverished community. But those moments of confusion are when Jesus reminds me that I am not my own; I belong to Him. The Lord defines our futures and pasts, He is our worth. No matter our works, failures or accomplishments, and despite how happy we seem on social media, Jesus is our pure source of joy and He is always for us. In knowing that we can relax, enjoy happiness when it flutters our way, and share the abundant joy we have. So go on and share your happy moments with the internet world! I for one love pictures of your babies and puppies. Just remember not to compare the value of your life to the Facebook profile of your neighbor. Namaste.