The Trap of Happiness and Positivity
We have been inundated in recent years with the self-love movement and the positivity movement. We can seldom go on social media without reading a self-love directed quote or exhortation l, or running across a positivity quote from someone who is convinced that we only need to think positive in order to have a better life. Some of them almost sound inspiring – kind of feel good, happy-thought inspiring. Maybe you have seen quotes resembling them. Here are a few.
“I am my first priority in my life. If not, then I become a slave to making other people happy and not myself.
“No one matters more than me when it comes to your happiness.”
“Fill your mind with positive things and positive things will fill your life .”
“If you put others first, you will never experience the life you deserve.”
“Think like you are a millionaire and you will become a millionaire.”
Have you noticed what all of these quotes have in common? happiness of these offer a permanent fix on earth or eternal fix to what ails our spirit or soul.
THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS
Happiness is not a permanent state of mind. Happiness is a mood or feeling that must be continually fed with self-gratifying events and experiences. For some, this may mean getting married in an attempt to fill a void through the selfish pursuit of personal needs being met. For others, it could be living from one recreational experience to another. The pursuit of sexual conquest. Living from one social event to the next. Getting wasted with friends. And for some (the stupid pill addicts among us), it is the pursuit of an adrenaline rush through extreme sports that often put you in a life and death situation. I Have been guilty of more than one of these in bygone years – and not so long ago. Addicted to stupid pills.
THE PURSUIT OF POSITIVITY
Among the most dangerous of mindsets that humans face is the pursuit of “personal” positivity. Some refer to it as an intellectual ascension to a higher conscience. It has been a billion dollar book industry known as “self help”. This is predominate within the broad spectrum of new age ideology.
Intellectual ascension fully discounts the need for repentance from the innate sin nature of the human soul. It emphasizes the pursuit of happiness over the pursuit of intimacy with God. It is a part of the self-love movement which places the individual at the center of their universe, i.e. on the throne of their life. Either consciously or subconsciously, this mindset displacing God and denies Jesus His rightful place on the throne of our lives. It lures its most followers into believing that eternal bliss and fulfillment is achievable without any outside help. In their minds, there is no need of a Savior or surrender to that Savior. If there is a God, He would not send anyone to hell because we are all “basically good at heart.”
The Bible tells us a different Truth. “The heart of man is desperately wicked. Who can know it.” At the center of the ideology of positivity, again, it is something that a person must work for if they are to continue feeling positive about themselves.
THE GIFT OF JOY AND PEACE
Please allow me say that happiness and a positive mindset, while both being good things (and two things that God wants us to have), are two things that you must continually work for and strive to have in a life without God at the center of it. This is because neither come “naturally”.
This said, the only true fulfillment and contentment that can be had in life that is all-inclusive of happiness, a positive mindset, joy, and peace can ONLY come from an internal change which is birthed from the inside. Joy and peace, which are part of the fruit of the Spirit of God, comes only through spiritual rebirth. There is no other way. This spiritual rebirth happens when you choose to experience a personal, intimate relationship with God through the person of Jesus, the Messiah. When we surrender to the Lordship of Jesus, the fruit of His Spirit will become abundant in your life. Among the benefits, happiness and a positive mindset are the rewards that come as a byproduct of experiencing the fruit of God’s Spirit.
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.”
—Galatians 5:22-25
The joy and peace – along with living a happy life with a positive mindset – that we all seek is closer than you think it is. It is just a simple, but life-changing prayer away.
Please let me know if you would like to learn more. Or, visit SavedNow.com. The key to opening the door to all that you seek in the way of happiness, renewed positive mindset, joy, and peace is there.
It’s time to have it all! Happiness, a positive mindset, and God’s abounding joy and everlasting peace.
