I have spent the last two years being extremely unhappy. If being a Christian doesn't change any of that, why should I bother? To be completely honest with myself (which took me quite a while to do), I just want to be happy. I don't want to be afraid that I'm sinning all the time any more! I don't want to be weighed down by guilt! Where is the liberty that supposedly comes with the "spirit of the Lord" (2 Cor. 3:17)?
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Pursuit of Happiness
I remember once hearing a quote from C. S. Lewis that "God doesn't much care if we are happy." (Though I may have made that up... I can't find it online...) This thought has continued to haunt me since I first encountered it my freshman year of college. Does following God mean I will have to live with unhappiness? Are Christians doomed to fight through a life of sadness? Are we simply to "consider it pure joy" when we "face trials of many kinds" (James 1:2)?
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I think God wants us to be happy. Why would design us for a life of misery? Makes no sense. If CS Lewis said that, he's wrong. (Horrors!) If Christianity is making you unhappy, then I think that's a sign that Christianity doesn't work -- or that the approach you are taking to Christianity doesn't work. As far as I'm concerned, I've taken the second tack. I've decided to follow joyful Christianity, which, it turns out, is liberal Christianity. (This coindcides with a general shift to the "left" in my entire life, except for the issue of abortion.) I've found that following hard-line, conservative Christianity FORCES one to assume a false facade -- you pretend to be righteous and happy whnen all the time you know that you're quite imperfect and kind of making up life as you you along. Look at all the televangelists who ended up having sexual scandals! Holiness doesn't work. Being human works. I choose to be real. Let's go out an have a beer and talk about it this weekend. Okay?
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