DAILY DEVOTIONALS: 6.1.24

 EveryCreature Under Heaven “If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, whichye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister.” (Colossians1:23) Before the Lord ascended back to heaven, He commanded His disciples to “preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark16:15), and one might receive the impression from the words of our text that this had already been accomplished, just 30 years after the command was given. Yet, it is hardly plausible to infer from this that Christian missionaries had already reached the entire globe. The problem may be our far-too-limited appreciation of God’s witness in the creation. The phrase “to every creature” in our text could better beread “in everything created.” That is, the gospel that was now being brought in explicit terms to the Colossians was consistent with what they already should have known from God’s great witness in the very structure and behavior of everything He had created. This is the testimony of such familiar verses as Psalm 19:1 (“the heavens declare...”); Romans 1:20 (“the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen”); Acts 14:17 (“he left not himself without witness”); and Acts 17:28 (“in him we live, and move, and have our being”). In the verses just preceding our text (Colossians1:16-22), Paul had defined this universal gospel as embracing the creation, salvation, and consummation of “all things” by Christ (vv. 16-17, 20). The essence of this truth can be seen (if one’s eyes are willing to see it) in “all the world” (v. 6) inthe beauty, complexity, unity in diversity, purposefulness, continuance of energy, and process as found in “every creature which is under heaven.” Every aspect of God’s creation has been designed to reveal Christ as Maker and Savior. HMM ------------------ WhatMean These Stones “When your children shall ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean these stones? Then ye shalllet your children know.” (Joshua4:21-22) The poet George Santayana once said, “Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” In the life of every nation, there are “memories” that must be preserved if that nation is to retain an awareness of its unique role among the nations of theworld—indeed, among the long list of nations throughout history. Long ago, God Himself instituted “memorials” so that the key events of history might be remembered. The rainbow was to remind God of His covenant to preserve life on the earth after the awful destruction of the Flood (Genesis9:8-17). Jacob set up a stone after he had seen the ladder and spoken with the angel of the Lord (Genesis28:12-22). Joseph insisted that the children of Israel take his bones with them into the land of promise (Genesis50:25). In our text, Joshua is told by the Lord to take 12 stones out of the Jordan and make a monument to commemorate the beginning fulfillment of the promise made to Abraham centuries earlier. That day, Israel was to enter the “promised land” and start its conquestof Canaan. The Memorial Day that we celebrate in the United States began with the ending of the Civil War. Since then, our country has added many memorials. Each of them, whether a mere plaque, a lone statue to a notable person, or a vast and sweeping edifice, are allintended to remember some significant event and the people who made history during that time. Typically, we honor the dead who paid the ultimate price that we might live on—and we should. There are others, though, whose sacrifices in time and treasure wereenormous. May our thanks this day “remember” all of them. HMM III ----------------- WhatGod Requires “And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in allhis ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul, To keep the commandments of the LORD, and his statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good?” (Deuteronomy10:12-13) This sounds simple enough, and the people of Israel readily agreed with Moses to do these things. Modern religious liberals cite such a lifestyle as all that is necessary to satisfy God. But the rub is this: Who dares claim to “walk in all his ways, and tolove him, and to serve the LORD [his] God with all [his] heart”? Anyone who makes such a claim would be breaking God’s commandment against lying. Solomon reached a conclusion of like kind: “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man” (Ecclesiastes12:13). Indeed so, but who can “keep his commandments”? “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all” (James2:10). Another favorite verse of the liberals is Micah 6:8: “He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?” Yes, but the problem is that “there is not a justman upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not” (Ecclesiastes7:20). There was one such man, of course! The Lord Jesus Christ “did no sin,” yet was willing to “bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness” (1Peter 2:22-24). What we could never do, He has done for us. Now, through faith in the finished work of Christ, we have been set free from the bondage of sin and can indeed “have [our] fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life” (Romans6:22). HMM ------------------------- Elijah’sPrayer “Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: andit rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.” (James5:17-18) “Elias” is the New Testament name for Elijah, the great prophet who lived during the darkest days of Israel’s apostasy, when Ahab and Jezebel ruled the land and had turned it over to the worship of the demonic god Baal. “Elijah” means “Jehovah is God,” a most appropriate name for a prophet of the true God in a nation and time given over to paganism. Elijah suddenly appeared before King Ahab with the ominous prophecy: “As the LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word” (1Kings 17:1). This was not presumptuous. In his commentary, James said Elijah “prayed earnestly” before he spoke and that “the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much” (James5:16). This remarkable prophecy was miraculously fulfilled. There was no rain in all the land of Israel for 3.5 years (as also confirmed by Christ in Luke 4:25) until Elijah defeated all the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel (1Kings 18:17-45). Yet, James reminds us that Elijah was “a man of like passions as we” and that both ends of the miracle—the onset and termination of the nationwide drought—were simply answers to Elijah’s two fervent prayers. James has much to say about how we also can receivewonderful answers to prayer. In addition to praying fervently, we must “ask in faith, nothing wavering” (James1:6). But faith must be expressed by action (as when Elijah confronted Ahab), for “faith without works is dead” (James2:20). Finally, if we “ask, and receive not,” it may be that we “ask amiss,” wanting the answer only for ourselves (James4:3). HMM ----------------- Evidenceof the Spirit’s Filling “And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit.” (Ephesians5:18) This classic verse on the filling of the Holy Spirit can be rendered as follows: “And don’t begin to be drunk with wine, which involves profligacy, but be continually being filled with the Spirit.” That is, one cannot be filled with the Holy Spirit (which impliescomplete control by the Holy Spirit) if he has come to even the slightest degree under the control of wine (or anything else, for that matter). Being fully controlled and guided by the Spirit is not just a one-time experience. It should be a continual experience—a moment-by-moment control of one’s thoughts and actions by God. In practice, however, it is at best a repeated experience, whereas most Christiansexperience it quite rarely, if at all. But how does one have such an experience, and what is the evidence that it is the real thing? To be controlled by the Spirit, one must yield control to Him and not let himself be controlled by anything or anyone else. In practice, this means believing and obeyingthe Word He inspired, consciously yielding one’s self as often as necessary. Jesus promised that “when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth” (John16:13). It should be noted that the filling of the Spirit is not necessarily marked by any particular feeling or ecstatic experience. The real proof is in the life, manifested by such characteristics as are described in the context of the passages referringto the Spirit’s filling. In our text, it is obvious that such a filling is accompanied by redeeming one’s time (v. 16), understanding God’s will (v. 17), a happy and Bible-centered conversation (v. 19), a continuously thankful heart (v. 20), and a right attitudeand relationship with one’s spouse (vv. 22-25). It is also evidenced by boldness in witnessing and in standing up for God’s truth (Acts 4:31; 13:9-10).HMM -------------------------- FaithThat Doesn�t Give Up - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org She replied, �That�s true, Lord, but even dogs are allowed to eat the scraps that fall beneath their masters� table.� �Matthew 15:27 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/faith-that-doesnt-give-up/- Listen When the door slammed in her face, she just knocked on it. She pressed on and would not be discouraged. She would not take no for an answer. She was a Canaanite, and she was from the area of Tyre and Sidon, a region outside Israel where the enemies of the Jews lived. The problem was that her daughter was demon-possessed. Meanwhile, Jesus� popularity had been growing. He had recently performed His most popular miracle to date, where he fed more than five thousand people. Then suddenly He leftthe country and went to Tyre and Sidon. Apparently, Jesus had an appointment with this Canaanite woman. She hadn�t grown up as a Jew, knowing the Scriptures. She certainly didn�t have the privilege of walking andtalking with Jesus. In fact, she was a pagan. We don�t know how her daughter became demon-possessed, but it probably had something to do with false worship and idols in their home. This mother, disillusioned with thesefalse gods, made her way to Jesus Christ, the one true God. ---------------------- She approached Him and cried out, �Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! For my daughter is possessed by a demon that torments her severely� (Matthew 15:22 NLT). However, Jesus didn�t respond to her cries, which seems curious. He made the long journey, apparently to meet with this woman. But when she went and asked for His help, Heacted as though she wasn�t even there. He didn�t appear to care at all. Yet that wasn�t the case. Jesus knew this woman�s faith. And He knew that she would rise to the occasion. He was doing this so He could provide an example for His disciples.He wasn�t being flippant. Rather, He was drawing her out. The disciples, however, misinterpreted what He was doing and tried to send her away. Maybe she was creating a bit of a scene, and they were embarrassed. Finally, Jesus saidto her, �I was sent only to help God�s lost sheep�the people of Israel� (verse 24 NLT). But she wouldn�t give up, and Jesus knew this. So He said, �It isn�t right to take food from the children and throw it to the dogs� (verse 26 NLT). With what little she knewabout Jesus, she applied dramatic faith. We might even describe it as amazing faith, so much so that Jesus said, �Dear woman . . . your faith is great. Your request is granted� (verse 28 NLT). Clearly Jesus was an expert on faith. And He was saying, �Your faith is amazing to Me. It is a great faith.� He wanted the disciples to remember it. Thus, the Bible preservesthis woman�s amazing story of faith for us as an example to follow. We often find faith in unlikely places. It is grace, not the place, that makes people believers. Sometimes, especially if we�ve been in a Christian environment for quite awhile, we start taking things for granted. And the very place where our hearts should be transformed can be the very place where they become hardened. --------------------------- A Bold Confession - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org If anyone is ashamed of me and my message, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when he returns in his glory and in the glory of the Father and the holy angels. �Luke 9:26 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/a-bold-confession/- Listen When Jesus spoke to His disciples about His impending death and resurrection, it was as though they didn�t hear Him. They didn�t seem to get it. It appeared to be lost intranslation. They weren�t paying careful attention to what He was saying. The problem was the disciples had visions of grandeur. In other words, they envisioned Jesus establishing His earthly kingdom and thought they would rule and reign with Him.That is why, after Jesus fed the five thousand, He had to get the disciples out of there as quickly as possible, because the people wanted to make Jesus king by force. But in Caesarea Philippi, Jesus revealed something to His disciples that they hadn�t understood up to that point. And it was simply this: He was going to go and die on a cross. It�s worth nothing that Caesarea Philippi was named after the Greek god Pan. Today you can go to Caesarea Philippi and see where the people had erected various images to theirgod. It was a place of full-blown idol worship. And it was in this place that Jesus asked the disciples a significant question: �Who do people say that the Son of Man is?� (Matthew 16:13 NLT). Jesus was challenging the disciples to make a stand. Being God, He could read people�s thoughts, and He did so on many occasions. However, He was asking this question to seeif His disciples were getting it. In other words, �You have seen Me calm storms. You have seen Me walk on water. You have seen Me cast out demons, feed multitudes, and even raise people from the dead. Do youknow who I am yet?� The disciples replied, �Some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say Jeremiah or one of the other prophets� (Matthew 16:14 NLT). Then Jesus said, �But who do you say I am?� (verse 15 NLT). Peter said, �You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God� (verse 16 NLT). He nailed it. So, Jesus replied, �You are blessed, Simon son of John, because my Father in heaven has revealed this to you. You did not learn this from any human being� (verse 17 NLT). It is one thing to say that Jesus is Lord in church. But it is another thing to say it at work, in the classroom, in your neighborhood, or in a place of influence. A lot oftimes we just want to blend in. We�re afraid to stand out and speak up for what we believe. But Jesus said, � If anyone is ashamed of me and my message, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when he returns in his glory and in the glory of the Father andthe holy angels� (Luke 9:26 NLT). The Bible doesn�t teach that everyone is going to believe in Jesus. However, everyone eventually will say �Jesus Christ is Lord� when they stand before God (Philippians 2:10�11). Jesus is still asking, �Who do you say I am?� It is the most important question that we will ever answer. ----------------------------- SavingSome �And of some have compassion, making a difference: And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire;hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.� (Jude1:22-23) In the context of this passage, Jude has been exhorting us to �build up� ourselves in the �most holy faith,� keeping ourselves in God�s love and looking forward to �the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ� (Jude1:20-21). The instructions that follow may apply to us and our fellow believers. If so, then these categories would fit the �vessels of...dishonour� that Paul alludes to that are in a �great house� (2Timothy 2:20). �Of some have compassion, making a difference.� Some of those in our circle of influence need our �pity.� The word choices imply a desperate need that we must attempt to remedy. Many of the Lord�s healing miracles were done because of compassion. We are encouragedto �make a difference� in the lives of those who urgently need the healing of the Word of God. �Others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire.� These are in jeopardy of eternal judgment. They are truly needy but are more dangerous to deal with. Even the imagery used by Jude is fearful. These are so �spotted� (dirty, filthy) by their fleshly deedsthat we must �beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness� (2Peter 3:17). Jude�s admonition is also applicable to Paul�s concern for the unsaved Jews that he �might save some of them� (Romans11:14) or his willingness to become as �them that are without law� so that he might �gain them� and to become �as weak, that I might gain the weak� (1Corinthians 9:21-22). The instructions are valid for either perspective. Paul echoes Jude�s concern when he says, �I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some� (1Corinthians 9:22). HMM III ----------------------- ABold Confession - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org If anyone is ashamed of me and my message, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when he returns in his glory and in the glory of the Father and the holy angels. �Luke 9:26 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/a-bold-confession/- Listen When Jesus spoke to His disciples about His impending death and resurrection, it was as though they didn�t hear Him. They didn�t seem to get it. It appeared to be lost intranslation. They weren�t paying careful attention to what He was saying. The problem was the disciples had visions of grandeur. In other words, they envisioned Jesus establishing His earthly kingdom and thought they would rule and reign with Him.That is why, after Jesus fed the five thousand, He had to get the disciples out of there as quickly as possible, because the people wanted to make Jesus king by force. But in Caesarea Philippi, Jesus revealed something to His disciples that they hadn�t understood up to that point. And it was simply this: He was going to go and die on a cross. It�s worth nothing that Caesarea Philippi was named after the Greek god Pan. Today you can go to Caesarea Philippi and see where the people had erected various images to theirgod. It was a place of full-blown idol worship. And it was in this place that Jesus asked the disciples a significant question: �Who do people say that the Son of Man is?� (Matthew 16:13 NLT). Jesus was challenging the disciples to make a stand. Being God, He could read people�s thoughts, and He did so on many occasions. However, He was asking this question to seeif His disciples were getting it. In other words, �You have seen Me calm storms. You have seen Me walk on water. You have seen Me cast out demons, feed multitudes, and even raise people from the dead. Do youknow who I am yet?� The disciples replied, �Some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say Jeremiah or one of the other prophets� (Matthew 16:14 NLT). Then Jesus said, �But who do you say I am?� (verse 15 NLT). Peter said, �You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God� (verse 16 NLT). He nailed it. So, Jesus replied, �You are blessed, Simon son of John, because my Father in heaven has revealed this to you. You did not learn this from any human being� (verse 17 NLT). It is one thing to say that Jesus is Lord in church. But it is another thing to say it at work, in the classroom, in your neighborhood, or in a place of influence. A lot oftimes we just want to blend in. We�re afraid to stand out and speak up for what we believe. But Jesus said, � If anyone is ashamed of me and my message, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when he returns in his glory and in the glory of the Father andthe holy angels� (Luke 9:26 NLT). The Bible doesn�t teach that everyone is going to believe in Jesus. However, everyone eventually will say �Jesus Christ is Lord� when they stand before God (Philippians 2:10�11). Jesus is still asking, �Who do you say I am?� It is the most important question that we will ever answer. ------------------------------- TheAble One �Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence ofhis glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.� (Jude1:24-25) This beautiful benediction is quoted at the end of many worship times because it summarizes both the core promises and the foundational authority of �the only wise God our Saviour.� He is able! The precision of the Holy Spirit�s inspired words is always perfect. The ability of the only wise God is not only omnipotent but omniscient as well. The Greek word dunamis signifies not only sufficient innate power to accomplish the task but also the knowledge to perform the job correctly. The leper said, �Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean� (Matthew8:2). He is able to �keep you from falling.� Again, the word choices are absolutely wonderful. God�s ability is used to provide a place of safe custody sufficient to stop any external attack. �But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil� (2Thessalonians 3:3). That custody protects our �faultlessness��a condition that is without any flaw. �According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love� (Ephesians1:4). Only God�s omnipotence and omniscience can produce a �new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness� (Ephesians4:24). God �can do� nothing less. His dunamis is such that �whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God� (1John 3:9). That is why �the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God� must be given �honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen� (1Timothy 1:17). HMM III ------------------- Our Cross to Bear - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. �Matthew 16:25 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/our-cross-to-bear/- Listen The cross today is a symbol for many. When we see a cross on top of a building, we conclude that it must be a church, because to us, the cross is a symbol of the Christianfaith. But for others, it is a fashion accessory. It means a variety of things for a variety of people. In the first century, however, even the word cross was offensive and bothersome because the cross represented a painful death. The Romans didn�t invent the cross, but theytook crucifixion to another level. They designed it to cause pain and torture. There were more efficient ways to execute someone, but for the worst criminals, the Romans used crucifixion. They nailed them to crosses, which resulted in a slow death. Thisserved as a warning to anyone who dared to revolt against the power of Rome. It wasn�t uncommon to see crucified men on the roads leading into Roman cities. So, when Jesus told the disciples that He would die on a cross, it meant something to them. But then He made it even more personal. He said, �If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. Butif you give up your life for my sake, you will save it� (Matthew 16:24�25 NLT). Jesus wasn�t merely addressing these words to the disciples in the first century. He was addressing them to disciples in every century. To �give up your own way� means to put God�s will and desires above your own. Selfish people will find this outrageous, even offensive. Narcissists need not apply. In day-to-day living, �take up your cross� means to die to yourself. Sometimes people describe whatever difficulty they have in life as their cross to bear. A mother mightsay, �My children are really trouble. But that is my cross to bear in life.� And the mother�s children no doubt will say, �Our mother? Well, that is our cross to bear.� You might have a difficulty you�re facing, so you say, �Well, we all have our crosses to bear, and I guess this is mine.� And while we will have our challenges and problemsin life, that is not what Jesus meant. In the first century, if you saw someone walking through the city carrying a cross, it meant only one thing: that person was about to die. Therefore, when we read that weare to take up the cross and follow Jesus, it means that we are to die to ourselves. We don�t hear messages about this very often. And maybe the reason the church today is so weak and anemic is that we don�t know that much about cross-bearing. Maybe if we stopped trying to be so much like the world, the world would start wanting to be more like us. Are we really carrying the cross today? Are we really dying to ourselves?This is what Jesus is calling us to do. --------------------- UnsearchableThings �It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter.� (Proverbs25:2) Education is sometimes claimed to be a �search for truth,� and scientists in particular take pride in their �research.� No doubt the scientific method has led to many useful discoveries and inventions, and rulers often have sponsored �government research� fortheir own ends. Furthermore, God�s primeval �dominion mandate� (Genesis1:26-28) in effect ordains the conduct of beneficial research. At the same time, there are some things that are far beyond the research capabilities of human investigations. Yet, they are understandable to the believing heart because these unsearchable things are near to the heart of God, who made us in His image. �I wouldseek unto God,� Job said, �and unto God would I commit my cause: Which doeth great things and unsearchable; marvellous things without number� (Job5:8-9). �Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable� (Psalm145:3). �There is no searching of his understanding� (Isaiah40:28). �Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite� (Psalm147:5). There is far more to be discovered concerning God and His great creation than all the scientists can ever hope to discover in this life. But those who love Him will have an eternity of time to search out the majestic complexities of His infiniteuniverse, for �eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him� (1Corinthians 2:9-10). What a marvelous paradox! �O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!� (Romans11:33). Yet unsearchable though they be, Paul, �less than the least of all saints,� was able to �preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ� (Ephesians3:8). HMM ------------------------- Lose Yourself - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me. �Luke 9:23 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/lose-yourself-2/- Listen The things that impressed me as a younger Christian still impress me, but now, other things impress me even more. When I was a brand-new believer, I was very impressed bya powerful preacher or someone with a great musical gift that they used for God�s glory. I was impressed by someone who consistently shared their faith and led people to Christ. I am still impressed by those things, of course. But there are other things that impressme today. What impresses me now is a husband and wife who stay faithful to each other for their entire marriage. I�m impressed by a Christian who weathers the storms of life and doesn�tbecome angry at God but comes closer to Him instead. And I�m impressed by believers who simply live out their faith each day. Being a disciple and being a follower of Jesus is, to borrow a phrase from Nietzsche, �long obedience in the same direction.� It is staying with it. Jesus said, �If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me� (Luke 9:23 NLT). Notice that Jesus said you musttake up your cross daily�not yearly, not annually, and not even monthly or weekly. It�s as simple as reading your Bible when you get up in the morning. That is giving up your own way and taking up the cross daily. It means praying. It means speaking up forJesus Christ, even when it�s uncomfortable or a bit awkward. Essentially, it means putting God first and yourself second. Maybe you�re thinking, �Well, that sounds kind of miserable to me.� It�s actually the opposite of that. It�s living life as it was meant to be lived when you put Jesus first. That�s because Jesus said, �If you try to hang on to your life,you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but are yourself lost or destroyed?� (Luke 9:24�25 NLT). Take up the cross�that is what we are called to do every day. And if we will do this, then we will find ourselves. Do you want to find yourself? Then lose yourself. Put Godfirst. If you try to be a happy person, you never will be a happy person. Now, there is nothing wrong with wanting to be happy. Everyone wants to be happy. But if you live to behappy, you never will be. As philosopher Eric Hoffer pointed out, �The search for happiness is one of the chief sources of unhappiness.� Here�s what it comes down to: If you want to be happy, then seek to be holy, and happiness will come as a by-product. Seek to be holy. Seek to be like Christ. But also livewholly for Christ. So, seek to be like Christ and live for Christ. You will be a happy person as a result.