“Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be…” – Matthew 6:19-21

Here in America – and probably just about everywhere – staggering amounts of money and time are invested in the belief that happiness is a commodity that can be acquired via some kind of transaction.

Even though happiness is impossible to pin down in terms of an actionable definition or formula, the idea of it is enshrined in our Declaration of Independence, right alongside life and liberty.

We have the right, the document declares, to go after happiness, to pursue it without – by implication – the interference of government.

What strikes me as ironic is that here in the USA – the very society that is literally built around the idea that the pursuit of happiness is a fundamental right – we appear committed to practices that lead people steadily and inexorably in directions incompatible with the happiness we supposedly value.

We appear committed to practices that lead people steadily and inexorably in directions incompatible with the happiness we supposedly value

It’s like the story in Acts 8 where the magician offers to pay for the power of the Spirit; “Gotta get me some of that!”

When Simon saw that the Spirit was given when the apostles laid their hands on people, he offered them money to buy this power. “’Let me have this power, too,’” he exclaimed… But Peter replied, “May your money be destroyed with you for thinking God’s gift can be bought!”

Somehow, we have equated the acquisition of money and consumer products with being happy – as if such a gift can be bought – thereby inflicting untold misery on both those hoodwinked at the consumer end and those we trap and use at the other.

I think a lot of it has to do with our tendency to respond as a herd rather than people with the liberty – and the responsibility – to think things through and make informed choices.

Because it appears that many of us surrender our liberty voluntarily in order to pursue happiness as defined by people without conscience.

The pursuit of power is not mentioned as an unalienable right – yet those who desire it readily take away the liberty of others by lying to them about how they might achieve the happiness they crave.

The Scriptures are clear:

The scriptures are clear that joy is a byproduct of serving others, living in peace, grace given and received, practicing mercy, encouraging one another, humility, loving unreservedly and investment in mutually supportive community.

We do not take happiness. We cannot buy happiness. There is no power equation whereby happiness can be won. And – most apropos today – hurtful acrimonious hateful accusatory negative threatening angry rhetoric and behavior sucks life liberty and happiness like a black hole of spiritual prison.

The people who say anything else are essentially willing to trade your liberty and your happiness for their power.

Back to Jesus. Jesus pointed to the open hearts and open spirits of the children and he said we have a lot to learn from them

“Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children. I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.” 

So let’s not put ourselves in spiritual prison! Let’s listen to Jesus instead – DEREK