Podcast: Download (Duration: 23:49 — 15.1MB)
Happiness, contentment, and serenity are states that all people strive for. The advertising industry isn't the only one that exploits this to its advantage. It suggests to people that acquiring a product or service will make them happier in their daily lives. Usually, a few positive aspects are prominently highlighted, while crucial details are hidden in the fine print on the back. When searching for a fulfilling life, one cannot trust every advertisement. Often, expectations are high, and the subsequent disappointments are great. What dangers lurk in the pursuit of happiness and contentment, and how do children of God attain true blessedness?
YOLO – this abbreviation, popular among young people a few years ago, comes from English (you only live once) and roughly translates to "You only live once." It suggests that one should seize the opportunity and simply have fun, regardless of the dangers involved (according to Wikipedia). No group of people is as easily won over to this seemingly logical attitude as the younger generation.
But does it really make me happy if I try everything in life? If I disregard commandments or throw discipline, order, and reason to the wind?
The idea of wanting and being able to experience everything is apparently also found in the Bible. Solomon says in Ecclesiastes 11:9: “Rejoice in your youth, young man; let your heart be glad in the days of your youth. Walk in the ways of your heart and according to what your eyes see.” If one reads only this far, one might agree with the statement. Indeed, the world, with its goods and activities, seems particularly tempting, promising, and desirable to young people.
Even children of God are tempted, and questions like, "Why can't I do that?", "That's not a sin," "What's so bad about it?", "It's just a joke," and "Did God really say that?" are not uncommon. Just like in advertising, young, naive people often fall for this tactic. Mature people are difficult to convince on this level.
This type of temptation is not new, as Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 2:11: “So that we might not be taken advantage of by Satan, for we are not unaware of his purposes.” The enemy didn't begin with the temptation of Jesus in the desert by trying to awaken human desires through visual gratification, but already at the beginning of the Bible in the Garden of Eden. “The woman saw that the tree was good for food and a pleasant sight to the eyes, and a tree to be desired for wisdom” (Genesis 3:6).
This original sin reveals the devil's modus operandi. He seeks contact, initiates dialogue, and sows doubt by not denying God's word, but rather relativizing it. The consequences of sin are downplayed, and false claims are made. Ultimately, desire is awakened in a person through visual gratification, and "after this, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death" (James 1:15).
One can become grumpy and dissatisfied if one loses sight of the essentials.
I think of Lot, who followed his eyes and in the end barely escaped with his life. Or of Achan, as he confessed to Joshua: “Among the spoils I saw a costly Babylonian robe (…); I coveted it and took it” (Joshua 7:21). We know his fate.
Samson, too, said, “She pleases my eyes” (Judges 14:3), and met a dishonorable end. King David, for a moment, could not resist his gaze and consequently suffered greatly. These are just a few cautionary examples from the Bible. Countless more could be told from life.
One might object: “Is everything I enjoy a sin? I just want to enjoy my youth!” Let us first establish an important principle of sound doctrine: Light has no fellowship with darkness (cf. 2 Corinthians 6:14). Of course, one should love one's fellow human beings (cf. 2 Peter 1:7), do good to them (cf. Galatians 6:10), and seek peace with everyone. But one cannot “walk along in the same unholy mud” with them (1 Peter 4:4).
Likewise, James tells us in his letter that friendship with the world is enmity against God (cf. James 4:4). Paul writes to the Romans: “Do not conform to the pattern of this world” (Romans 12:2). The Apostle John warns against loving the world and what is in the world (cf. 1 John 2:15-17). I think we are aware that by “world” he does not mean God’s glorious creation, but rather the human world as one that turns away from God.
Certainly, not every object and every activity is equally sinful. What matters is what I do with it and what my motive is. Let's take the smartphone as an example. For some, it's a helpful communication tool that helps structure and organize daily tasks and appointments. For someone else, the same device can become a downfall if they become dependent on it. The insatiable greed of visual and physical lust can harm one's faith.
Another example is travel. How much good can be done through it? Visiting relatives near and far, supporting others in need, spending time in uplifting and blessed communities. Our missionaries and evangelists are volunteering their time almost all around the globe in Jesus' name, spreading the Gospel. But if my heart is filled with false, carnal motives and my goals are the licentious hotspots of this world, where the spirit of prostitution prevails, then I will not return unstained. This is true of many things that surround us. Great sins such as murder, adultery, fornication, theft, false testimony, and blasphemy are clearly recognizable to everyone.
Therefore, the enemy tends to tempt us cunningly, as the example of the frog and the boiling water shows. The frog immediately jumps out of the boiling water. In slowly simmering water, it dies unnoticed. This is how sin begins. At first, it is harmless, but in the end, it is bitter. In 1 Peter 2:11, the apostle admonishes: “Abstain from the desires of the flesh, which wage war against the soul,” and in Galatians 6:7-8: “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked. A man reaps what he sows. For whoever sows to please their flesh will from the flesh reap corruption.”
Similarly, the Apostle Paul writes in Titus 2:11-12: “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all people. It trains us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in this present age.” May God grant us the necessary spiritual disposition to recognize and avoid sin from afar. “Do not be deceived: Bad company corrupts good character” (1 Corinthians 15:33).
As already mentioned and quoted, sin does not remain without consequences; it influences feelings and thoughts, destroys relationships and working conditions, and leaves its mark on one's health and character. The parable of the prodigal son illustrates this (cf. Luke 15:11-32). He left the comfort of his father's home, sought his fortune, and squandered his inheritance in a foreign land. Ultimately, he was even denied the food meant for the pigs. Sin utterly deprived him.
We must be aware that experiences with sin increase the devil's vulnerability. We run the risk of relapsing. If one has never consumed an alcoholic beverage, the temptations in this area will be minimal. However, if it is familiar and one has enjoyed it, the enemy can tempt one more intensely. The godless nature and worldly desires are like the proverbial bottomless pit. We will never satisfy them. As soon as an object of desire is obtained, it quickly becomes uninteresting and boring, and we crave something greater. This increasingly dulls our sensitivity to sin.
It can seem that children of God, in their constant struggle with sin and the world, cannot do what their hearts desire and what pleases their eyes. As the psalmist Asaph writes in Psalm 73:14: “For I am afflicted all day long; my chastisement was there every morning!”
The crucial element in the verse from Ecclesiastes 11:9 is the "heart." The Bible isn't referring to our physical organ, which pumps about 5 liters of blood through our body every minute. Put simply, it refers to the central location of the spiritual person, where motives, affections, passions, will, and decisions originate.
Unfortunately, this heart is inherently evil. As early as Genesis 6:5, we read that God wanted to destroy the world through the Flood because of humanity's evil thoughts. A little later, in Genesis 8:21, God says, after the Flood, that "the inclination of the human heart is evil from youth." Even such global catastrophes as have not occurred since have not changed the human heart for the better. Jesus also refers to people as "evil" in Matthew 7:11 and in Mark 7:21: "for from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts." This evil heart can never do God's will.
Inner peace brings lasting joy and contentment.
How can this heart, which is so crucial, become good?
When Jesus was addressed as “Good Teacher,” He replied that “no one is good except God alone” (cf. Luke 18:18-19). Only God alone can turn this heart to good, when a person surrenders the reins to Him. Proverbs 23:26 says, “Give me your heart, my son, and let your eyes delight in my ways,” and Psalm 51:11 says, “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” This happens through faith in the Son of God, Jesus Christ, by repenting and turning to God. Jesus says in Matthew 11:28-29, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”
Zacchaeus, Paul, Mary Magdalene, the Gadarene man, the jailer, and many others immediately come to mind. After encountering Jesus, their lives fundamentally changed for the better. They became a new creation.
Those who have experienced conversion and died to the world and sin have had their hearts fundamentally transformed. The forgiveness of guilt and liberation from the power of sin brings a joy, as King David says in Psalm 4:8: “You have given me joy beyond measure, more than theirs when they have plenty of grain and new wine.” Isaiah says: “I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; my soul exults in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation; he has covered me with a robe of righteousness” (Isaiah 61:10).
The enemy of souls, the devil, ensnares Jesus' followers with all sorts of trivial things.
It is not worldly goods or material possessions and independence that bring lasting joy to a person, but rather their relationship with their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and their relationships with their fellow human beings that determine lasting joy. As 1 John 3:21 aptly states: “Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God.” Inner peace gives joy and contentment that endures. It cannot be influenced by external circumstances. Paul rejoiced in suffering (cf. Colossians 1:24). Even when he was being offered up as a sacrifice, his joy was no less (cf. Philippians 2:17).
A child of God sets his mind on things above and on God's righteousness (cf. Mt 6:33; Col 3:1-2). This person seeks God's will and pleasure. In his book "This Is Jesus," Werner de Boor interprets Jesus' saying, "My food is to do the will of him who sent me" (cf. Jn 4:34), as follows: "My 'food,' not my burdensome duty! That which nourishes and strengthens me, not that which burdens and tires me."
What pleases my Lord makes me happy. We find rest for our souls when we take Jesus' yoke—His commandments and His will—upon us and act accordingly. His yoke is easy and His burden is not heavy. Jesus says, "If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love" (John 15:10).
When God's children are connected to their Lord like the branch to the vine, they have the necessary strength to resist the temptations and enticements of the devil. When a person finds something better, they are ready to let go of the old. For this, it is essential that we remain in fellowship with the Lord through prayer, through reflection on the Word, and in the fellowship of the saints.
What wonderful grace we have received through the gift of the Holy Spirit! Even when difficulties arise and days don't go our way, we have joyful confidence and access to the throne of grace. In Romans 14:17, Paul writes, "For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit." What comfort children of God experience when they are filled with the Holy Spirit! No one can still the troubled heart more than the Comforter sent by God. Let us abide in Him. Then we will join with the psalmist Asaph: "Whom have I in heaven [besides you]? On earth I desire nothing besides you" (Psalm 73:25)!
But the enemy of souls, the devil, wants to prevent precisely this and ensnares Jesus' followers with all sorts of trivial things. He prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. If we neglect our intimate relationship with God, we risk becoming fond of worldly things, as Demas did. Perhaps he wasn't immediately "unbelieving," but love for God and love for the world are mutually exclusive.
To be needed in the Lord's harvest field, steadfastness and resistance to sin and temptation are prerequisites.
John writes this in his first letter: “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in him” (1 John 2:15). Jesus teaches: “No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money” (Luke 16:13).
The verse in Ecclesiastes 11:9 ends as follows: “But know that God will judge you in all these things.” This message also begins the 12th chapter of Ecclesiastes: “ Remember your Creator in the days of your youth,” and with it the book of Ecclesiastes also ends: “For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether good or evil” (Ecclesiastes 12:14).
Worldly people don't ask about God (cf. Psalm 14:1-3), let alone about God's will. They seek the temporal pleasures of sin. A common excuse is: "When I'm old, then I'll come to church." This is a very deceptive trick of the devil. No one knows if they will reach old age, nor what condition they will be in then. Even if God has mercy on a person, it saddens them to realize that they can only do so much for their Savior in their limited time and strength. Moreover, because of their sinful past, they are far more exposed to temptation.
Let us all the more be of service to our Lord from a young age. In our youth, a person is more receptive to learning. As Solomon writes in Proverbs 22:6: “Train up a child in the way he should go, so that when he is old he will not depart from it.” And in Lamentations 3:27 it says: “It is good for a man to bear the yoke in his youth.”
Part of a Christian's manhood is learning from a young age to resist sin and temptation and to be steadfast, as Daniel and his friends were, or Joseph when he fled from Potiphar's wife. Then the Lord can use us in His harvest field, and that brings great joy.
Despite everything, even among God's children, it's not impossible to become grumpy and dissatisfied if one loses sight of what's essential. The people of Israel are a well-known example of this, when God led them out of Egypt to the desert and into the promised land. Despite God's great miracles, they repeatedly grumbled about certain circumstances and blamed Moses for them.
It is not independence and material things that bring lasting joy to people, but rather their relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ and their relationship with their fellow human beings.
Arend Remmers aptly described it in his book "The Mature Christian": "When we grumble against God, we are dissatisfied with the lot He has assigned us. Jude writes in verse 16 of his letter: 'These are grumblers, dissatisfied with their lot, walking according to their desires.' In this dissatisfaction, the sinful flesh reveals itself, always seeking the gratification of its own will. According to Romans 8:7, the mindset of the flesh is hostile to God because it neither wants to nor can submit to God's law, that is, His revealed will. This was true for Israel, and it is true for us as well."
Especially as a young person, a lack of life experience can lead to quick and thoughtless expressions of dissatisfaction. Social media, in particular, makes other people's lives seem so exciting and thrilling that we unconsciously begin to compare ourselves, increasing dissatisfaction with our own lives, families, employers, communities, and so on. We often forget that these are fleeting "moments," or even staged and retouched images. Only when I possess the latest smartphone, the latest clothes, the highest level of education, or the most prestigious job do I feel a sense of satisfaction. This is the "pride of life" (cf. 1 John 2:16).
There is nothing wrong with constructive criticism when it comes from pure motives and is offered with love, serving the edification and improvement of the individual or the community. Nor is there anything wrong with a good education, which is a prerequisite for career prospects, unless it permanently restricts or influences one's personal worship. Likewise, everyone appreciates quality things that provide value and benefit. The motivation is what matters. One can easily talk a good game about it outwardly, but God knows the true motives of our hearts.
“My contentment lies in enjoyment; what I cannot change, I patiently accept,” these words come from an unknown hymn writer and testify to the attitude we should have as followers of Jesus. Paul writes in Philippians 4:11: “For I have learned to be content with the situation I am in.”
The missionary trips were very helpful to me personally in this regard. I became aware there that everything I have and everything I am is not my own merit, but God's grace and gift.
Felix Hamernik,
Municipality of Bremen
Source:
1) https://www.bibleserver.com/dictionary/SGNB/Welt%2C%20diese/2008