Session 8

How to be happy

From Ecclesiastes: A 20-Day Devotional

What do you think about when you hear the phrase "the American Dream?" For many of us, the American Dream is about acquiring— getting the best looking spouse, the highest ranking job, all the money, and all the “stuff.” 

Having those things isn't wrong, but they aren't what matters to God. What matters to God and what matters for eternity isn't what we have but how we lived. In Ecclesiastes 4:4, Solomon writes, “And I saw that all toil and all achievement spring from one person’s envy of another. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.”

Maybe you’ve never tried to chase the wind, but have you chased bubbles? Almost as soon as you grab one, it bursts, forcing you to go chase another. The lie Satan tries to sell us is that if we can get what other people have—an attractive spouse, more money, a higher promotion, or a more athletic body—then we will finally be happy. Just like those bubbles, though, as soon as you catch whatever bubble you’re chasing, suddenly you realize it’s a different bubble you “need.”

We serve a good Father, who will take care of all our needs. 

The truth of the Gospel is that, through Jesus, we have all we need. We don’t have to hustle for our worth and identity. We are not defined by how we compare to our neighbor. Our joy comes from our relationship with Jesus, not from the things we acquire. We can rest in the promise that we serve a good Father, who will take care of all our needs.

Reflect

• What is an area in your life where you are envious of what somebody else has?
• How have you seen God provide for you in a different area recently?
• Is there anything stopping you from trusting God with the area where you have been envious? What step can you take today to begin trusting Him with it?