What if I want to be happy but not in Christ Jesus . . . its about being who we are . . .

"Trust and obey, for there's no other way.  To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey"

Do you know this hymn?  It sets forth the way to be happy in Jesus. 

But what if you don't want to be "happy in Jesus?"  What if you want to be happy some where or with someone else? 

There is an assumption that we always want to walk with the Lord.  That we always want to do the right thing, "run the race to win," "have a little talk with Jesus."  But if truth be told, that is not always the case.  Especially when we think being with Him, walking with Him, trusting in Him and obeying Him just doesn't seem to be getting us want we think we need the most.

"But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust."  Matthew 5:44 - 45

Okay so I am to love my enemies, and pray for those who kick my butt, plot against me, and stab me in the back.  Pray for those who smile in my face while calling me every name but a child of God behind my back, and sometimes, even to my face.  In this I get to be a son of God who is conveniently located up heaven. 

Oh, and in addition to being counted as his son, I get to have just the same issues and crap dumped on me as everyone else. Or perhaps I should look at it a little more positively . . . I get the same sun and rain that they are blessed with . . . them enemies of mine. 

Well no matter how I turn the coin, it looks like a raw deal to me.  A truly raw deal, except . . . . except . . .

. . . except if I know what it means and how it feels to be "happy in Jesus," to truly be a son of God!  Except if I understand who I am, what I am made of.

When I was in college I decided that I had spent my whole life around Christians telling me just how wonderful God was.  Yes I had experienced Him for myself.  Yes, I had known His awesome dealings . . . on my behalf.  But I still had not been close to any of those who walked the "dark side," and so I wasn't sure that I really was getting the best deal.  You know, this walking with God stuff, "when we all get to heaven" and stuff.  So I purposely got close to some young men who definitely were NOT of my belief.  I got around people who would not "judge" me or tell me I was doing wrong if I wanted to.  And did I want to!  And did I do it! Yeah I did.

No need to go into all the details, (including my cursing my own dad - because he done such a foul thing to me . . . he told me to trust the Lord).  In any case the day came when I could not sleep, was in a deep depression and set out on my bike at 2:30 AM down a one lane highway headed to Mexia, Texas dressed in black.

A couple of miles down the road, and several close calls with a couple of 18 wheelers I came to my senses.  I gradually came to realize that the reason I was so black, so depressed, and so lost was I was going against my designed nature!

"So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them." Genesis 1:27

In God's likeness we were created.  Out of His hands we were made.  From Him we came, like Him we were designed.  And God, well, He is a Holy God.  He is the essence of  love.  He is so we are designed to be.

". . . what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? Yet You have made him a little lower than God, And You crown him with glory and majesty!"  Psalm 8:4-5

We are made a little lower than God himself!  He has crowned us with glory and majesty!  Like himself we are designed.  And like Himself we have been created to live . . . in communion with Him.

"Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord!"  Ephesians 2:20-21

Take a moment and ponder on what this means. 

As we came from Him, were designed to be like Him in His image, and grow together into a Holy temple in Him . . . the ONLY way we can be truly happy is to be walk and live in Him!  We must trust and obey Him, who designed us and comes to live fully within us through Christ the hope of Glory!

There is an old saying, "you do not change, until the pain to remain the same becomes greater than the pain to change."  The further we walk away from Him the greater the ultimate pain.  Why? because we are going against how we were designed!  We are going against our internal eternal purpose! 

Remember the sun and the rain falls on both the just and the unjust . . . and this is indeed the act of justice, of a just and loving God.  Remember all of us came from Him and are called to be in Him.  He is not dumping on us, and letting our enemies go free, on the other hand He is giving them the same opportunity He gave and continues to give us-- to live in Him, to be counted as His child, to walk in His will.

As a child of my father I inherit all that He has.  I can enjoy all of his stuff.  I can rely on Him, to meet my needs, be there for me, comfort me, love me, forgive me, train me, educate me, and yes, even lovingly discipline me, etc.

Now my earthly father was limited in what he could do for me, and indeed may not have been too good at loving me and all that stuff.  He screwed up at times.  In some ways, majorly.  But we each have a heavenly father who doesn't screw it up!

Get into His word and find out what He has for you, His child.  Trust Him.  Obey Him.  You will be happy, not just because you are in Jesus, but because you are living in the personhood you were designed and created as.  God is here, not just up in heaven.  You want to be happy . . . then you know what to do . . .

Got Word?

Love yah,