Solutions February 2018 | Page 57

longer the best job, so we search for the next job. And we’re raising children who are just as bad. They often aren’t grateful for the new toy, they want the best toy. They’re not sensitive to financial boundaries, because culture (that’s us) perme- ates the greed of more, more, more. And the pursuit of that façade will never make us happy or fulfilled or thankful. Maybe you’ve experienced this dissatisfaction, this “strange melancholy” in your life. Perhaps the pursuit of happiness seems futile, because you’re convinced some- thing is always waiting around the bend to snatch away the happiness you’ve worked so hard to find. The good news is the joy of a life beyond amazing isn’t the same thing as the general happiness that eludes you. Happiness is about what happens to you; and, to an extent, it’s dependent on your circumstances, your behaviors, and your attitudes. But the joy of Christ is much, much bigger. The joy of Christ is about a relationship with a person. It’s something you have access to, but it’s also something you must choose. David Jeremiah is the founder of Turning Point, an international ministry committed to providing Christians with sound Bible teaching through radio and television, the Internet, live events, and resource materials and books. He is the author of more than fifty books, including Is This the End?, The Spiritual Warfare Answer Book, David Jeremiah Morning and Evening Devotions, and Airship Genesis Kids Study Bible. Dr. Jeremiah serves as the senior pastor of Shadow Mountain Community Church in San Diego, CA. Solutions 57