Being Holy

A precursor to, what is often, very bad behavior is the phrase, "God just wants me to be happy."  Then a man leaves his wife of 20 years, a mother leaves her preschool children or a teacher becomes involved with a student. 

They argue that God, being our Father, wants what every loving parent really wants, "Just for their child to be happy."  Really?  What if that which the child thinks is going to make him/her happy actually leads to their demise?  What if experimenting with drugs brought a smile to your child's face, would you tell him to go for it?  What if she found that breaking the law gave her a rush of excitement, would smile and say that's nice dear? 

Is feeling happy, your only concern as a parent or is is not that your children also be healthy and whole?  And, by the way, where does God's Word say that he just wants us to be happy?  It doesn't. What is does say is, "Be holy because I am holy" (1 Pet 1:16). 

 Holiness, however, will produce happiness as a side product.  In fact "the pursuit of happiness," although a constitutional right, is wrong thinking for true happiness is always a side product of doing what is right and good. 

Holiness, which means to be set apart, or as Peter put it in verse 17,  to "live out your time as foreigners here," is to choose God's ways over man's ways or even your own impulses.  Holiness draws us toward God and the kingdom of Heaven, which leads to true happiness. 

Jus' Sayn.