Happiness, health, financial security, mental and emotional wellness, and balance are just some of the things that most of us consider to be the components of ‘The Good Life’. Regardless of culture or socio-economic background, people long for these attributes in their lives. American people are struggling more and more with attaining these goals. Kathy Caprino, author and leadership coach, describes these qualities as something people “desperately desire, but can’t seem to attain.” Why? Because we are looking in all the wrong places.
For a lot of us, these things are conditional, and we base them around our current circumstances. We make our hope and happiness depends upon our relationships, our careers, how much money we have, etc. So, we pour ourselves into our circumstances and wind up disappointed because things never go quite the way we imagined them. If our life is based on the conditions of our circumstances, then are we really living ‘The Good Life’?
Society tries to sell us the idea that it can be obtained by making lots of money, eating lots of food, drinking lots of drinks, and having the freedom to do whatever makes us happy. The problem with this thought process is that happiness is an emotion, and emotions are fleeting. Everyone is subject to pain and heartache at some point in their lives. It is a part of humanity. We can have perfect plans and but, as Kathy Caprino states in her article, “We just can’t seem to grasp what we desperately want.” (The Top 8 Things People Desperately Desire, but Can’t Seem to Attain).
The truth is that ‘The Good Life’ is actually a side effect of pursuing a relationship with Jesus. When we follow Jesus, we trust that He is watching over us, guiding us, and listening to our prayers. This doesn’t mean that we will never experience pain or heartache. It means that, in the midst of pain and heartache, God is with us, comforting, providing, and caring for us along the way.
One of my favorite passages in the Bible is in Matthew 6:31-33. “Therefore, do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”
This passage reminds me of everything I need to live. It isn’t dependent on what I can do on my own or on the current circumstances of my life but rather is found not when I’m seeking it. It is found when I’m seeking God. Here are a couple things to remember when you find yourself unable to find what you seek:
- Have Faith. “And without faith it is impossible to please God, for whoever would draw near him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.”
–Hebrews 11:6
God wants to reward our faith!
- God’s plans for your life are good. Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
God has a plan for each of us, and His plans for us are good. What a relief that we don’t need to rely on ourselves to reach ‘The Good Life’, but know that God already intends to bless us beyond what we can think or imagine when we seek Him first.
Marina Guzman is Children’s Ministry Director at Koinonia Church in Hanford, CA. She can be reached at marina@kchanford.com or 559-582-1528.