God Has Bigger Plans Than Making You Happy

“You shall be holy, for I am holy.” — 1 Peter 1:16

Most of us have a fairly simple plan for God. Keep me healthy. Keep my family happy. Keep enough money in the checking account. Keep the car running. Keep difficult people at least three counties away. And, Lord, if it is not too much trouble, could You arrange things so that everybody appreciates me?

We would like God to make us happy. God has something bigger in mind. He wants to make us holy.

That sounds slightly less exciting. Nobody wakes up on Monday morning, stretches, pours a cup of coffee, and says, “You know what I could really use today? Some holiness.” We usually prefer comfort.

But holiness does not mean becoming a strange religious person who never smiles and carries a Bible large enough to require a luggage cart. Holiness means becoming more like Jesus.

And that is where things get uncomfortable. Because Jesus occasionally puts His finger on something in our lives and says,

“We need to work on that.” “My temper?” “Yes.” “My gossip?” “Yes.” “My need to always be right?”

Jesus just keeps staring.

We would much rather He work on somebody else. “Lord, have You seen Keith and Ken? They could use a tune-up.” Again, Jesus just keeps staring.

But God loves us enough to keep working on us. That is the good news. God does not simply point out what is wrong and tell us to straighten ourselves out. Jesus forgives us. Jesus comes near. Jesus gives us His Spirit. And little by little, He begins changing us into a holy image of Himself. That is how holiness happens.

Holiness happens in ordinary places. It happens when you tell the truth when lying would be easier. When you forgive when you would rather avoid. When you close your mouth before saying the thing you desperately want to say. That one may be advanced-level holiness.

So perhaps today the question is not, “God, why aren’t You making me happier?” Maybe the better prayer is: “God, are You making me holy?

Have a great week

-Pastor Corey