There Is No Such Thing

God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from Himself, because it is not there. There is no such thing. -C.S. Lewis

Why is it that my happiness so often hinges on what is going on around me? On my circumstances?

My mom aquired tickets to go to a concert tonight, and I was really looking forward to it. But then, we found out there might only be two tickets, so I might not be able to go. All of a sudden, I was sad. Extremely disappointed. I thought my day had been ruined.

Well, it turns out I can still go...we have enough tickets. So I'm fine again. But this isn't the first time this has happened. I get my hopes up about something...it lets me down...I'm unhappy. Or there is something in my life that isn't going right...I'm unhappy.

It's probably true for other people, too: our happiness depends on our circumstances. And maybe that's okay. After all, happiness is a feeling, and as humans, our feelings are fickle.

But joy, and peace, they aren't feelings. They are gifts from God. They are fruits of the spirit. They can be around in the midst of pain, in the midst of disappointment. But not by our own strength. Not by our own minds. Because like I said, human emotions are fickle, always changing, always blowing with the wind. But God never changes, and He is the only being in whom we can find peace and happiness. It exists in no other place.

So I guess what I'm saying is, circumstances will disappoint me. I'll get sad. I'll cry. But my joy and my peace will never have to diminish, because they are never changing, never failing, coming from a never changing and never failing God. It's something I'm working on, and will probably work on for my entire life: this whole thing of trusting God, coming to him for peace. But I'm getting better. I have found joy in hard things. I have found beauty in the ashes. I have seen myself begin to be refined from the fire into treasured gold. But not by myself; by God, because "God cannot give us happiness and peace apart from Himself, because it is not there. There is no such thing."

Love,
Erin