Fall in Love With God's Word: Practical Strategies for Busy WomenExemplo

Day 2: Pursue the True Source of Joy and Happiness

“But why?”

I hear this question often as a mom, typically when my children know the rules, but they don’t find the consequences compelling enough. It shows up in questions like, “But why can’t we eat cupcakes for breakfast?” or “But why can’t we run through the house?” 

It’s basically my children’s way of saying, “It wouldn't be that bad, Mom. You should let us do it. You’re ruining our fun.”

Of course, as annoying as these questions can be, I can’t blame my children for asking. As children, they don’t inherently understand all the long-term or short-term effects of their actions. To them, I’m simply ruining their fun by giving them unnecessary rules designed to make their lives hard or boring.

As we mature from children to adults, we gradually develop a better understanding of which choices are likely to lead to positive outcomes and which choices are likely to lead to negative outcomes. Yet, that doesn’t mean doing the right thing is always easy.

Thankfully, Psalm 1 gives us a much-needed reminder. 

You’ll notice Psalm 1:1 doesn’t say, “Blessed is the one who has a beautiful, magazine-worthy home,” “Blessed is the one whose children always listen the first time,” or “Blessed is the one who gets to take fancy tropical vacations in the dead of winter.”

Society may love to use #blessed to show off how lucky we are, but the Bible is clear that that’s not where true happiness is found. 

Rather, Psalm 1:1 reminds us: “Blessed is the one… whose delight is in the law of the Lord.”

Getting in the habit of regularly studying God’s Word isn’t always easy. It’s easy to get distracted chasing other things—all the people, activities, and objects the world says are fun, worthwhile, or important. And yet, Psalm 1 reminds us where true joy, happiness, and blessing are found. 

When we seek to know God and follow His will through the pages of Scripture, the Bible promises us, “the Lord watches over the way of the righteous” (Psalm 1:6).

Every time I’ve put my relationship with God first and set that time aside to be with Him, I have never regretted it. As we go out into the world, with all its noises and distractions, may we remember where true joy and happiness is found. 

Today’s Challenge: What people, activities, or objects do you tend to chase after because you think they will make you happy (ex: A nicer house, a thinner waistline, a better relationship with loved ones)? Ask yourself: Will achieving these things bring me true happiness, or are they just a distraction from my relationship with God at this point in my life?