The Paradoxical Happiness Of Less
Introduction
Howard Hughes was an eccentric movie and airline baron who amassed a fortune of cash, holdings, and properties worth billions of dollars in the early part of the twentieth century. The story is told that someone asked him near the end of his life, “How much does it take to make a man happy?”. Hughes paused thoughtfully, then replied, “Just a little more.”
We may not have billions or millions or even a little cash-cushion in the bank, b ut regardless of our economic level, we generally think we’ll be happier with more. During Jesus’ 1,000-day ministry He spent time teaching us a paradoxical truth: that we can actually be happier with less. As we look at His life and come to understand His mind on the subject, we’ll truly come to know Him better than we have ever known Him before. As we come to know Him we become more like Him and enter into that contentment and rest of spirit that He promised. That’s the whole point at looking at these 1,000 days.
The mind-set of contentment in our age of consumerism may sound strange, maybe impossible, but Jesus underscores it by warning us about the opposite, the mind-set of greed.
The Parable of the Rich Fool
Luk 12:13 And one of the company said unto him, Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me.
Luk 12:14 And he said unto him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you?Luk 12:15 And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.
Luk 12:16 And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully:
Luk 12:17 And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?
Luk 12:18 And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods.
Luk 12:19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.
Luk 12:20 But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?
Luk 12:21 So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.
The word covetousness means an insatiable, inordinate desire to want more and more. Our desire to get more and more of everything is fed constantly. We find ourselves running in the mode of need it, want it, gotta have it. But is that best for our lives? Jesus invites us to a better way of living.
I’ve Got To Get What’s Due Me
There are perhaps no disputes more bitter than when family members fight over an inheritance. We see occassions of it all the time. Siblings who formerly got along with each other hear the reading of the will of their last parent and everything hits the fan. Somebody feels slighted, passed over, or like dad always loved the other one best. Lawyers are called in and end up with most of the money, and precious relationships are broken, all because of an inheritance dispute like the one brought to Jesus in the above scripture.
Jesus was trying to get the young man to understand that life is not all about stuff. He could look ahead and see that in our time, our culture would shout the opposite message every day. He knew all about the pressure that would come down on us to get the latest stuff, the best stuff, and to shop till we drop.
Beware The Big Bad Wolf Of Covetousness
Watch out for this terrible greed. It will eat you up. Covetousness will give you just the opposite of the happiness it promises. Look at all of the lottery winners whose lives came apart once they had won enormous wealth. Many had spent many years buying lottery tickets with money they could not afford in hopes of one day having everything they had always wanted.
The Delusion Of Greed
In the above parable God told the farmer to hold on. Even if he had all that he wanted he was just a step away from eternity and then who would all of his stuff go to because it sure would not go to heaven with him.
Turning Around The Delusion Of Greed
The delusion of greed insists that if we get just a little more, we will be happy. The truth turns that idea on its head. The truth is that acquiring stuff has nothing to do with happiness. In fact, we may be happier with less. Jesus did not say that simply being poor will make you happy. He said that the riches that make you happy are spiritual, not material. We will be more able to focus on riches of the spirit if our material lives are stripped down and made a little simpler.
To turn greed upside down we must first face three facts:
1. Control of life and death is in God’s hands, and we need to lay down the notion that we have anything to say about it. We are never promised tomorrow or even one more minute. It helps us hold our material goods more loosely if we know they can be taken away at any minute. You can’t take them with you.
2. Material wealth is in God’s hands. It can come and go as quickly as snapping your fingers. One of the reasons God blesses us is so we can bless others.
3. Our part is to live in thankfulness. So often we focus on the provisions instead of God the provider. We spend too much time getting stuff when we should be looking behind it all and thanking God from where it came. God will provide the stuff we really need.
Luk 12:22 And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on.
Luk 12:23 The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment.
Luk 12:24 Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls?
Luk 12:25 And which of you with taking thought can add to his stature one cubit?
Luk 12:26 If ye then be not able to do that thing which is least, why take ye thought for the rest?
Luk 12:27 Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
Luk 12:28 If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and to morrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith?
Luk 12:29 And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind.
Luk 12:30 For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things.
Fortune Hunting For The Right Treasure
Since happiness is clearly not in getting more stuff, Jesus told us where true happiness lies:
Luk 12:31 But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Luk 12:32 Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
Luk 12:33 Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth.
Luk 12:34 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.