Did Jesus Die to Make You Happy?

Author/psychologist Larry Crabb says, “A flaw in our view of Christian marriage (and all Christian life) is the appealing emphasis on becoming happy. Our peppy songs about joyful Christianity neglect the need to develop a holy, obedient walk with God no matter what personal suffering may be involved.”

In “If God Is Good,” Randy Alcorn writes “If we come to see the purpose of the universe as God’s long-term glory rather than our short-term happiness, then we will undergo a critical paradigm shift in tackling the problem suffering.” Likewise, Greg Laurie writes, “The purpose of the universe is God’s glory, not our happiness. We tend to think of the world as revolving around us. We are the main characters of our own novels. And when something bad happens, we want to know why this is happening to me.”

It seems to me if we are in the throes of apocalyptic events, we can expect more suffering—none of us will escape. Are we ready? Randy Alcorn answers: “We shouldn’t wait until suffering comes, to start learning how to face it, any more than we should wait to fall into the water before we start learning how to scuba dive.” How do you learn?  When trials come, choose joy.