A few weeks ago, this refrigerator magnet caught my eye. It’s a simple and appealing bit of advice. Figure out what makes you happy and do more of it! 

So, I not only took this picture, but I took the advice. I looked to spend more time doing the things I enjoy. For the most part it worked out fine. But all along, there was just something about “Do more of what makes you happy,” that didn’t quite feel right. It just didn’t seem to quite square up with something I remembered about Jesus.  

“One day someone asked Jesus, ‘Which commandment is the most important of all?’ Jesus replied, ‘The most important one is Israel, listen! Our God is the one Lord, and you must love the Lord your God with all your heart… soul… mind, and with all your strength. The second is this, you will love your neighbor as yourself. No other commandment is greater than these.’”  (Mark 12:28-31, CEB)

I’m thinking that Jesus’ refrigerator magnet would probably say something like “Do more of what makes others around you happy.” Now there are some obvious places this could take us, that we shouldn’t go. Doing what it takes to love others well and seeking to make them happy should rarely, if ever, mean putting ourselves in harms way. 

But what if being a follower of Jesus is about finding happiness, at least some of the time, in what makes others around me happy? I’m guessing the only way to find out is to do it more often. Are you with me? 

Your partner on the journey,

Pastor Steve