Episode 21
So many people believe the purpose of life is to be Happy or the Pursuit of Happiness! It's a misconception. I believe most people are actually pursuing gratification instead of happiness. And in reality they should be pursuing Joy instead of happiness! Today I talk about all 3 of these concepts and how they relate and how they are very different. Only Joy will fulfill us in the end. Gratification and Happiness will always leave us empty and/or wanting more.
Solomon who had it all - Money, Power, Fame, Wisdom, and Women - had this to say:
Ecclesiastes 2:1-11
1-3 I said to myself, “Let’s go for it—experiment with pleasure, have a good time!” But there was nothing to it, nothing but smoke.
What do I think of the fun-filled life? Insane!
My verdict on the pursuit of happiness? Who needs it?
With the help of a bottle of wine
and all the wisdom I could muster,
I tried my best
to break through the absurdity of life.
I wanted to get a handle on anything useful we mortals might do
during the years we spend on this earth.
4-8 Oh, I did great things:
built houses,
planted vineyards,
designed gardens and parks
and planted a variety of fruit trees in them,
made pools of water
to irrigate the groves of trees.
I bought slaves, male and female,
who had children, giving me even more slaves;
then I acquired large herds and flocks,
larger than any before me in Jerusalem.
I piled up silver and gold,
loot from kings and kingdoms.
I gathered a chorus of singers to entertain me with song,
and—most exquisite of all pleasures—
voluptuous maidens for my bed.
9-10 Oh, how I prospered! I left all my predecessors in Jerusalem far behind, left them behind in the dust. What’s more, I kept a clear head through it all. Everything I wanted I took—I never said no to myself. I gave in to every impulse, held back nothing. I sucked the pleasure out of every task—my reward to myself for a hard day’s work!
11 Then I took a good look at everything I’d done, looked at all the sweat and hard work. But when I looked, I saw nothing but smoke. Smoke and spitting into the wind. There was nothing to any of it. Nothing.
He had it all but still was left void!
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