04/19/2026
The Pursuit of Happiness
โMany people say, โWho will show us better times?โ Let your face smile on us, LORD. You have given me greater joy than those who have abundant harvests of grain and new wine. In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, O LORD, will keep me safe.โ
โPsalm 4:6โ8
Dissatisfaction is the last of lifeโs headwinds that weโll be talking about this week. Itโs also one of the most common. Even those of us who like to think of ourselves as low-maintenance and unassuming harbor certain hopes and expectations for this life. We want meaning and purpose, among other things. When life fails to deliver, weโre left feeling disappointed, dissatisfied, and maybe even a little cheated.
Only humans have a longing for meaning in life. I can assure you that my dog doesnโt sit around pondering the reason for his existence. He wonโt be looking back on his life and saying, โYou know, I tried it all as a dog. I chased cats. I drank toilet water. I tried bones. But deep inside of me, there was a void.โ Dogs donโt think that way. They mainly think, โFood . . . sleep.โ
Dogs, you see, arenโt made in the image of God. You and I are. We are living souls, designed to know God and to experience something more than a mundane, directionless existence.
From the time of our birth, weโve been on a quest to discover that โsomething more.โ And we keep searching until we discover that the answer to all our questions is found in a relationship with our Creator. God can give us a sense of joy and fulfillment that far surpasses the puny, fleeting pleasures this world offers. Even better, thereโs no hangover in the morning. Thereโs no guilt or shame that accompanies it.
The psalmists understood this. Psalm 4:6โ8 says, โMany people say, โWho will show us better times?โ Let your face smile on us, LORD. You have given me greater joy than those who have abundant harvests of grain and new wine. In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, O LORD, will keep me safeโ (NLT).
And Psalm 16:11 says, โYou will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you foreverโ (NLT). Thereโs pleasure in knowing God, not in chasing after happiness.
In fact, weโll never find happiness by chasing it. But what we will find is that as we chase Godโas we pursue and walk with Himโthen one day we will realize that weโve become happy people. Happiness doesnโt come through actively seeking it but by getting our lives into proper balance, by aligning ourselves with God and His will for our lives. Happiness and joy are the byproducts of that balance and alignment.
Jesus said, โSeek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you needโ (Matthew 6:33 NLT). In other words, if you seek God and His plan first, everything else in life, including happiness and peace, will fall into place.
Reflection Question: What would seeking God and His plan first look like in your life?
Greg Laurie