FrAnthony

Happiness. Everyone wants it. Many people define happiness in a certain way, claiming that they have the ‘secret to happiness’. The dictionary defines ‘being happy’ as ‘feeling or showing pleasure or contentment’.

In today’s world, it is becoming more and more difficult to define what happiness is. Personally, I've struggled with defining the concept of happiness. I don't remember anyone ever teaching me what 'happy' meant.

But as a little girl, I felt happy. I was satisfied with my life and I felt at peace. Looking back now, I wonder how I could have been happy. My family was not well-off, and we didn't have much. I wore my sister’s hand-me-downs, and I didn't own any toys. My family never went on vacations, and we didn't eat out at restaurants.

Yet, as a small child, I didn't feel as though I was missing out on anything. I made use of what I did have - a loving family and a wonderful church community. I had clothes to keep me warm, and even the hand-me-downs felt new to me!

"Here we are now, entertain us."

That’s a line from a hit song by one of the earliest “grunge bands” of the 1990s – Nirvana, led by Kurt Cobain. That one line is a good summary of our culture today. We are obsessed with being entertained.

Tell me, what is the focus of our entertainment? Is it anything more than just an expression of our selfishness? Let’s be honest – our entertainment has nothing to do with producing something useful or of benefit to others. The goal is to consume something for the sake of pleasure. Our lives are like being in a theme park, just looking for the next adrenaline rush to make us feel alive.

As a student, I have found that even our friendships are centered around who is the most entertaining. Don’t get me wrong – being funny and having a sense of humor is a gift from God and not something to apologize for. God loves funny and He loves fun, but not if it comes at a price.

How’s the old saying go? “He who makes you laugh, laughs at you. But he who makes you cry, cries with you.”

SPIRITUAL GROWTH | PERSONAL GROWTH | RELATIONSHIPS | ENCOURAGEMENT | STSA Church | GUEST POSTS

Featured

Twitter