Entry # 5 --- Shedding Light on Success and Happiness

Shedding Light on Success and Happiness: James 2:13-26

I love observing people. I enjoy watching interactions, seeing people’s facial expressions, and watching reactions to everyday encounters. It’s in these reactions and interactions that I’ve noticed what a self-absorbed society we’ve become. Everyone consumes themselves with how to make the most money, how to lose the most weight, and how to acquire the greatest (monetary) wealth. It’s within this self-absorption that we forget about other people, and often lose ourselves too. It’s no wonder that many of us end up in cycles of depression. When we get caught up in chasing meaningless dreams, and when the glitter of that chase fades, were left with an emptiness that we weren’t fully aware of and when we look in the mirror, we scarcely recognize the face that looks back.

How do we get to this place? What keeps us there? And what can we do about it?

I submit to you that we reach this state (this place) of self-absorption in a vain effort to become successful and happy in a worldly sense. If we were to take a poll, I’m sure there would be a consensus among all Americans that success is equated with happiness. Furthermore, the definition of success would include: having an ample amount of monetary wealth, being physically appealing, and having a position of power. All of these things are consistently reinforced on TV, in books, and in magazines. Basically, it’s everywhere, the status quo, so to speak. In essence, we think it’ll bring us happiness.

The second question is why we stay in that place. I think we stay there because it’s a comfortable place to be. Other people notice you, appreciate you, even admire you. After you’ve been in this place for awhile (false sense of happiness), you wonder why these things make you happy. You realize the chase is nothing more than looking for the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Essentially, it’s all an illusion; namely, because the thirst for success is never quenched. Once you’ve lost the first fifteen pounds, then you’ve got to lose fifteen more. Once you earn that first million, then you have to earn another million. And once you’ve become President of the company, then you’ve got to become the CEO. The chase leads you nowhere and then you’re left to try and understand why you’re still unhappy.

This leads us to the final question, what can we do about it? We must come to realize that it’s not about doing what pleases us, but doing what pleases God. God wants us to understand that although faith is a necessary component in our walk with him, “faith without good deeds is dead faith (James 2:17).” We have to look beyond ourselves towards the greater good. We can’t see God, yet we believe in him with all our hearts. However we see, (with our own eyes) our fellow brother/sister suffering, we walk right on by. This happens all the time and we’re all guilty of this, including myself. How many times have you been late to work and you’re stuck in traffic, and refuse to let someone in front of you? How many times have we seen someone try to walk into a building, overloaded with things in their hands, and not held the door open for them? How many times have we simply just smiled at someone for no reason? God isn’t necessarily asking us to move mountains. He’s just asking us to live our lives the way we proclaim to be. He wants our actions to match our faith. This is such a small and simple thing to do. Jesus died on that cross for each and every one of us. It was done selflessly. We must learn to live the same way. And, in doing this, we will find the ultimate happiness. It’s a happiness that no fame, fortune, or power in the world could ever buy.

I present to you today, a challenge. My challenge to you is to create a new definition for success and happiness through doing good deeds. Challenge yourself to become successful in a godly sense, as opposed to the worldly sense. I challenge you to one good deed a day. These deeds don’t even have to be complicated or hard. Something as simple as smiling at someone else will do. Once you’ve accomplished this, raise the stakes. Eventually, the challenge will change to habit, and these are habits that will ultimately lead us to divinity. These habits have the ability to change the world, but will also change you in the process. The change will shine through and people will know you believe by the things you do, which makes you become a better witness for God. What better tool to witness to someone than personal experience. If you need proof, you have it in yourself.
This happiness I speak of, my friends, is a happiness that cannot be bought, sold, or traded for it comes from within, from above. This is the complete happiness we all strive to attain. And if this is ever difficult to remember, just think about what Jesus has given to us---the ultimate good deed, his death for our life. So, make use of that, people. Make a deposit into your account with God by living through him. See if it doesn’t change you. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain!