28 July 2017
Money Actually Can Buy Happiness
Philippians 3:14
I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.
I read an online article yesterday entitled “Money Can Buy Happiness.” And I got to thinking how true that is! Money is the answer. Buying things make us happy, then when we’re not happy anymore, we can buy something else or go on another trip. Spend, spend, spend and be happy, happy, happy. It doesn’t matter if your relationships are in tact or you have a fulfilling job; if you continuously have money or a huge line of credit, you can continuously be temporarily happy over and over again.
What money doesn’t buy is contentment. And that is what Believers are called to be – content. Contentment is a state of being whereas happiness is a feeling. Ever notice that happiness is not listed as one of the products of having the Holy Spirit?
But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! (Galatians 5:22-23 NLT)
Happiness sounds like the result of such a life described above, but happiness is not our pursuit. Contentment is. Godliness isn’t the result of happiness...
Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can’t take anything with us when we leave it. So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content. But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows. But you, Timothy, are a man of God; so run from all these evil things. Pursue righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. Fight the good fight for the true faith. Hold tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you...
(1 Timothy 6:6-12 NLT)
So this news article I read is not cutting edge in its claim that money can buy happiness when the old known cliche has always been that money can’t do that. Of course it can, and when one runs out of money, get more money; that is the key to happiness. But it is NOT the key to contentment. Continually pursuing life with Jesus is the key to contentment, and contentment is what we really want. We want to be sustained while we have trouble, we want the holes in our hearts filled in not only temporarily covered up over and over again. Money can’t buy contentment, and contentment is what we all actually want, not happiness. Ever met a content person? They are totally HAPPY!!!
Dear God,
Thank you that in your economy I don’t have to worry about making myself happy; it just happens because you instruct and encourage me to press on every day, and you make me content, you sustain me, you also bless me and fill all the holes in my heart. I love you so much, and thank you that a rich full life with you involves no money whatsoever. Thank you! And I pray in Jesus’ name, amen.
Money Actually Can Buy Happiness
Philippians 3:14
I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.
I read an online article yesterday entitled “Money Can Buy Happiness.” And I got to thinking how true that is! Money is the answer. Buying things make us happy, then when we’re not happy anymore, we can buy something else or go on another trip. Spend, spend, spend and be happy, happy, happy. It doesn’t matter if your relationships are in tact or you have a fulfilling job; if you continuously have money or a huge line of credit, you can continuously be temporarily happy over and over again.
What money doesn’t buy is contentment. And that is what Believers are called to be – content. Contentment is a state of being whereas happiness is a feeling. Ever notice that happiness is not listed as one of the products of having the Holy Spirit?
But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! (Galatians 5:22-23 NLT)
Happiness sounds like the result of such a life described above, but happiness is not our pursuit. Contentment is. Godliness isn’t the result of happiness...
Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can’t take anything with us when we leave it. So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content. But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows. But you, Timothy, are a man of God; so run from all these evil things. Pursue righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. Fight the good fight for the true faith. Hold tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you...
(1 Timothy 6:6-12 NLT)
So this news article I read is not cutting edge in its claim that money can buy happiness when the old known cliche has always been that money can’t do that. Of course it can, and when one runs out of money, get more money; that is the key to happiness. But it is NOT the key to contentment. Continually pursuing life with Jesus is the key to contentment, and contentment is what we really want. We want to be sustained while we have trouble, we want the holes in our hearts filled in not only temporarily covered up over and over again. Money can’t buy contentment, and contentment is what we all actually want, not happiness. Ever met a content person? They are totally HAPPY!!!
Dear God,
Thank you that in your economy I don’t have to worry about making myself happy; it just happens because you instruct and encourage me to press on every day, and you make me content, you sustain me, you also bless me and fill all the holes in my heart. I love you so much, and thank you that a rich full life with you involves no money whatsoever. Thank you! And I pray in Jesus’ name, amen.
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