Friday, April 1, 2011

Getting Ahold of Happiness

It’s occurred to me that our vocabulary is rather weak… or at least our syntax is. Often when pain comes flying around the corner of our lives like a freight train out of control we say that God is big enough and good enough to handle our pain while he sustains us through the trial.

But in the sentence of God being able to handle our problems there is an inferred ability for us to be able to handle all the good in our lives. But here’s my question: If we are unable to handle the bad circumstances in our lives what makes us think we can handle the good ones? What about our lives show us, humans, as being competent enough or reasonable enough to be able to deal properly with happiness?

The answer begged is that we are unable to handle the good in our lives. Because if we were able to properly handle the happiness of life than there would be no necessity for trials, for if the good things directed worship to God, as they ought, then the need to try those good things against hard things (creating pain) would be unnecessary.

The reason being for my inquiry into this is I have never heard anyone say, “God is big enough and good enough to handle my happiness (whatever the joy may be); God is big enough and good enough to handle my engagement, new job, newborn, love, family, friends.”

If God can handle the bad things in life, the things that drive us to our knees, which cause blurred vision because the tears are so thick, and forced breathing because weeping is difficult, if he can handle those times… He surely can handle joy and happiness.

A sovereign God demands that we see this, because he is not a cosmic gumball machine used only in pain.

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