Everyone Wants the Same Thing

Greetings, friends. Part of the human condition is that we are imperfect, and we suffer. No one enjoys suffering, though as Christians we understand suffering to be part of our calling.

When we experience earthly suffering we endure it with the hope that we will experience joy in eternity. We recognise that earthly suffering is fleeting, and that the joy of being with Jesus in eternity will far outweigh it.

Those who don’t have faith are also seeking joy. They may find it in wealth, in promiscuity, or in work, for example. So, in a sense, we are all seeking the same thing.

Another aspect of suffering is that we endure it to please God. We recognise that He has all power, and so we submit to His will, simply because He is all-powerful. God deserves our fear because He is sovereign over all events and we are merely as puppets in His hands.

Intending to suffer, purely for the sake of suffering, wouldn’t make any sense. We are all motivated be a desire for happiness, because it’s happiness that makes us feel complete and fulfilled.

The Christian Gospel is so wonderful because in it God has made a way for us to be joyful, not only through hope in the future but also in our present circumstances. We can receive the peace which surpasses all understanding that comes from a relationship with Jesus Christ.

We all want to be happy, but the greatest source of happiness on Earth in our time is to be found in the Christian faith, which gives us not only the hope of paradise but also peace and joy in our trials while we are on Earth.

Thanks be to God for this indescribable gift!