![]() I knew God may not grant me physical things like health and wealth, but he was supposed to at least bestow intangible goods like fulfillment in work, meaning in ministry, and a joyful intimacy with him, along with a sense of purpose and comfort in my suffering. While I did not believe that God was a vending machine for material abundance, I did expect God to make me happy-to bless me spiritually and experientially-if I followed him well. I didn’t feel entitled to affluence and knew God was good even when my circumstances were not.īut despite my well-constructed theology of suffering, there were elements of the prosperity gospel’s values that felt vaguely familiar to me. Growing up, I was taught that adversity wasn’t to be feared, that poverty and sickness were not signs of failure on my part or a lack of favor on God’s part. ![]() But life with God doesn’t always guarantee perfect, uninterrupted happiness.Įvery church I have attended rejected the prosperity gospel outright. Studies confirm that religious habits do, in fact, positively impact a person’s mental health. I agree that things like joy and courage are often byproducts of a deep walk with God. Yet I have come to believe that this good feeling cannot be the reason we choose to follow Jesus. Faith creates a sense of emotional centering and brings them peace. My guess is that if you were to ask people today why they participate in religion or spiritual practices, many would say it’s because these things make them feel better. What could a person like me-with all the love and material comforts I’ve enjoyed-complain about? Why doesn’t my very blessed life feel like a blessing? And why doesn’t my pursuit of holiness always feel like happiness? I’ve worked in humanitarian aid and social services and know what real deprivation looks like. ![]() I understand how off-putting and cringeworthy this must sound. Put succinctly, I feel like life has let me down somehow. In fact, I’ve noticed a certain kind of melancholy descending upon me over the years-like a slow drip of discontent and disillusionment-almost as if I’ve been expecting something from life that has not yet been delivered. Technically speaking, I have everything I need and much of what I want. In the grand scheme of history, I’ve enjoyed unprecedented prosperity and freedom. To this day, I’ve had a good life by any reasonable standard and am comfortable, safe, and secure. I still carry deep pain from these experiences and have many days when I move through the world as a mourner.īut, all things considered, the scales have tipped toward blessing for me. I’ve experienced some losses: the sudden death of my sister, who was my only sibling a season of infertility and a health challenge or two. Like most people’s lives, mine has had its ups and downs. I know this feeling of disappointment well. ![]() This can take on a distinctly spiritual tone for Christians as we start new Bible reading plans and devotionals-often with the unspoken conviction that becoming more faithful to God will, ultimately, make us more peace-filled and joyful.īut what happens when, sometimes only a couple weeks into January, we begin to get discouraged, dissatisfied, and unmotivated-when we start to feel like we’re already failing at having a “happy” New Year? We make a list of overly optimistic resolutions, hoping that the season ahead will be filled with greater health, success, and happiness than the one behind. For many, the start of a new calendar can be the most motivating time of the year.
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