| Freedom and Happiness |
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| Written by Mark Junkans |
 This month we celebrate Independence Day, and we do have great cause to celebrate. The freedoms that we have enjoyed for so long were previously unheard of in most other societies. Thanks to the strong leadership and fortitude of many individuals throughout our nations history, we have the freedom to live our lives freely as followers of Christ.In the Declaration of Independence, the founding Fathers state, “We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” They recognized that God has created all people and He Himself has given them their rights as humans. With regards to life, Job 33:4 states “The Spirit of God has made me; the breath of the Almighty gives me life.” Regarding liberty, Gal. 5:1 says “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” But regarding the pursuit of happiness, what does the Bible say? True happiness is found in serving God and serving others, not serving yourself. “You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.” Gal. 5:13. Most of us in this country are using our freedom to chase happiness. We use most of our spare time for our own enjoyment. The pursuit of happiness is an endless and hopeless one, if we don’t understand where true happiness comes from. Happiness can only be found in Christ and in His purpose for your life. Physical and earthly pleasures can only bring temporary happiness, but a life of service to God, despite its trials and hardships, brings true joy. The earthly kingdom in which we live seeks after happiness, but only the invisible heavenly Kingdom gives it. When we seek God we find eternal happiness. When we only seek happiness, we find disappointment. Rom. 14:17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. |
