I JUST WANT JR. HAPPY – In my years of experience dealing with troubled teenagers, one of the most common answers I get from their parents when asked what they want most for their child is this: “I just want my child to be happy.” But, as noble as this sounds, should “being happy” really be life’s main objective?
Happiness is simply one byproduct of a life well lived. There are a lot of happy drunks, drug abusers, fornicators, and criminals. What these people don’t have is joy, which is the byproduct of knowing God and His holiness. Joy transcends circumstance. Happiness is contingent upon happenings. Pursuing happiness without first pursuing God’s holiness in the person of Jesus Christ, is like a surfer looking for a wave without first finding the ocean. Let’s teach our kids to keep the Main Thing the main thing.