COUNTERFEIT HAPPINESS

Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun – Ecclesiastes 2:11

The world offers a lot of counterfeit happiness. They may come in the forms of comedy, drama, drugs, entertainment, games, liquor, music, partying, theatre, or tobacco. Solomon’s reckless pursuit of this wrong direction ended him in emptiness, vanity and vexation of spirit. The age of the computer, Internet, and social-media has further multiplied humanity’s options of counterfeit happiness. These may not be evil in themselves, but they certainly do not provide Joy.

It’s easy to fool people about how one really feels or to feign feelings of happiness and emotional euphoria, while carrying a hollow and aching heart. One may simply wear a deceptive smile or hum a melodious song while weeping within. The story is told of a British piano maestro – Felix Powell – who one day sat down at a piano and played his well-known melody “Smile, Smile, Smile,” and shortly after, went into a room all alone and shot and killed himself.

Troubles cannot be packaged away and magically disappear into thin-air. A smile and a song may camouflage deep depression and heaviness of heart, but only God can lift the burden of gnawing worry from our hearts. Knowing that He cares for us, we can cast all our anxiety on Him (1 Pet.5:7). If in your difficulties, troubles, and trials you trust in the Lord as your strength, He will provide more than emotional relief. He will bring restoration and enable you to truly rejoice. A smile can conceal deep agony and camouflage despair, but trust in God gives inner peace and joy beyond compare. True joy can never be derived from anything material or temporal. True Joy is the by-product of trusting God.