Godliness with Contentment is Great Gain

C. S. Lewis once wrote in a letter, "It is a Christian duty, as you know, for everyone to be as happy as he can."

Currently, my lifestyle seems quite ideal to much of society. I can sleep in as late as I want. I have no appointments of which I will have sustaining repercussions from if missed. I have an apparently infinite disposable income. I have no family commitments beyond those I create myself. I honestly have no one that expects anything in particular from me at any time, and can thus do whatever I want, without limit. I have utter freedom.

One would think that I am thus happy. However, I have found myself over the last four months often feeling depressed and discouraged. I feel as if I have nothing to offer the world and no motivation to move forward, or up, or sideways, or in any direction at all. I fill my time with an average of 1.5 films daily and a haphazard pursuit of self-improvement. This has come in many ways, but the way that I am realizing is most pertinent for me is through educating myself on issues of faith and society. Thus, when I discovered Steps of Justice and their Justice Awareness Month prayer guide, I fell in love. Not only does this book give me a schedule and template to follow in regard to social justice issues, but it prompts me with creative ideas to put my increased awareness into action. I would suggest investigating Steps of Justice to anyone who cares about the world around them and wants to help change it for better.

For me though, this has brought be back to the happiness in my life that has been hard for me to grasp. It has provided me with goals to achieve each day, and a framework with which to base my prayers and self-education. I guess this means that I am an outwardly motivated person, and that I do not intrinsically have a desire to do, well, anything. However, I am motivated by God and His call on my life, and He has once more provided exactly what I needed to continue working within His will.

One of my favorite Bible verses is Micah 6:8,

"He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God."

This has become a life theme I try to remind myself of often, because this is where I find joy, in my God, and He works in me through justice and mercy and humility. These are all things I am constantly working to improve upon in my life, and that is what I think this time that God has given me is about. In Psalm 37:4 He promises,

"Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart."

What delights my heart is to continue glorifying Him. So it seems we've got a pretty sweet cycle of glorification and delight going on between us. And I wish to continue on this road though I still don't know where it is leading except to eternity with my Father.