Christians! Is it possible to fully serve God (the way he expects us to), and still enjoy our lives?

Question

Does he care about our personal happiness at all? I've hear T.V. preachers say that God is concerned more about conforming Christians into his children, then about making them happy; is this true? What about our own interests? Doesn't he care about that?

Answer 1

Okies hon, here's a grown-up lesson on emotions. Happiness and enjoyment are emotions, they are as inter-changeable as your underwear lol. They change like the wind, so don't value them as treasures.

Rather, understand that God has your best interests in mind, whether you realize it or not. If you allow Him to conform you to His will, to change your mind and heart into what He desires, the after result for you will be happiness and enjoyment. But more importantly, you will be more secure in your faith, which will bring you more joy than you can possibly know.

I know, I've been there :)

Answer 2

It depends on your views and how strongly your beliefs are based on the bible. If you take the bible as absolute fact and non-metaphorically speaking, then you'll be hard pressed to find any enjoyment out of life. Think about the puritans, they actually whipped and beat themselves with chains if they found enjoyment in things as small as eating or manual labor. It all depends on how you interpret a 2000 + year old text and whether you see it as a useful teaching tool that uses historical fiction to illustrate doctrine or as the indisputable word of God. Keep in mind that men, perhaps inspired by God, wrote and edited both the new and old testaments, and that is a hard fact. My advice, enjoy life, enjoy being a Christian if that's your thing. Love others, do good in the world and walk in the way of Jesus. That's really the best advice and if you treat others with compassion, there's a lot of joy you can take away from that. Me, I'm a secularist and an agnostic, but I still think of the bible as an excellent source for spiritual advice and personal guidance. It's not meant to be taken word for word, otherwise we'd stone disobedient children and take multiple wives. Neither sounds much like a good idea...

Answer 3

It varies from person to person, I believe generally God expects us to learn to love one another. To have a chance to make good choices and find out just what we don't want to do and what we want to do. As an Essene, I believe in a form of Christian Reincarnation, and so you work out your faith through the ages. God is not punishing us. Jesus was a good example to what is possible. He didn't come on this Earth to show us up, He came to show us how we should strive to be. Everything He did is possible to us, and He said that We would do even more than what He did. During the three years on the Earth, He taught His followers how to heal each other and the Earth. We are not sinners. We are good. The church that followed Paul is so full of self loathing that it spills over to others. Everyone of us is a part of Father God and Mother Goddess. Or as some say, the All Parent God. The other good thing is to learn how to have Faith. Believe that all things are possible and they are! Focus on the goodness and be thankful for everything and everything will be good! Miracles are everywhere if we believe. What an amazing life this is to have the chance to experienced the Creativity of All Parent God in ourselves!

Answer 4

It's not your life if you are a Christian. What does it mean to enjoy life? Can't you enjoy life for the sake of life. Your life is not your own. The only thing you own is your sin, which has been bought and paid for so now there's nothing left. Sin keeps coming back but God has already forgiven even the worst of them forever and a day. That should be enough to just enjoy God and whatever life brings your way. Count your trials joy and your tribulations a blessing from God. He will never leave you or forsake you. His plan is not for your body but for your soul. The body is for food and food for the body we need not worry about more then that.

Answer 5

Of course we can be happy while serving God. We can pursue our own interests, hobbies, career goals, and more as long as they don't conflict with what God asks of us in the Bible. People often look at what we can't do as Christians - like sleep around, get drunk, have affairs, lie, steal, etc. But really God asks us not to do things that will hurt us immediately or in the long run. We should also look at all the things we can do like pretty much everything else in the world! :) TV preachers might have good intentions or not - I don't know - but if you read the Bible for yourself you'll know you're getting the truth from the source! :)

Answer 6

Oh how beautiful is your heart. You deeply desire to serve the Lord in all the richness He desires and yet you want to be a human being at the same time.

Yes, it is true, our Lord is far more concerned with our holiness than with our happiness. Everything about this life is short and temporal. Therefore, why not give the more earnest heed to holy and godly things? Remember this child of God, earthly
happiness is truly one of the most unstable things we can set our hearts upon. What makes us happy today, perhaps will not tomorrow. Should then The Lord focus on such fleeting things? Or should He be and remain the One constant thing we can count on?

Listen to me carefully, The Lord cares about everything you care about. If something breaks your heart, He hurts also for you. We will never serve Him as He is worthy of our service. But we can serve Him to the ability He allows unto each of us, while at the same time, falling in love, having children, great careers while staying forced, that all such things should first be to His glory, for He alone is worthy.

You keep asking these sorts of questions... He Himself will show up to answer them. Then can you teach us such things. May the Lord our precious God bless you and the sincerity of your heart.

Answer 7

Absolutely; if you could actually, perfectly live God's commands out, you'd know you would be going to heaven, the ultimate fulfillment; but, we've sinned, so no material happiness is guaranteed, no matter how many good works you do. Real happiness comes from the immaterial; that happiness is the only permanent kind.

Answer 8

Yes it is possible. Yes he cares about us being happy although you should know that our true happiness will come when we get to heaven.
Yes we are to be Christ like and spread His word. This is Gods ultimate desire. As Christians this is our work and a form of obedience and what God expects from us as His children.

Is there something that you are struggling with?

Answer 9

Most assuredly; that is the whole purpose of God's Law, that we live in peace, happiness and prosperousness. And that, not just for a moment or for only one or a few people, but for everyone, always and forever.

Deuteronomy 5:33 -- "You shall walk in all the ways which the LORD your God has commanded you so that you may live and that good may be to you, and you may make your days longer in the land which you shall possess." (MKJV)

Deuteronomy 6:24 -- "And the LORD commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the LORD our God, FOR OUR GOOD ALWAYS, so that He might preserve us alive, as it is today."

Luke 12:23 -- "Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing."

John 10:10 -- "... I have come so that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly."

Answer 10

GOD wants us to be happy in our lives, because when one becomes a christian that doesn't mean we have to give up what we enjoy before we became christians. He doesn't want us to give up what we like doing. all He wants is for us to spend time with Him like reading the bible, praying, going to church and so forth. i know that its very hard being a christian especially in todays society, i know that we are not supposed to drink, curse or smoke, but if we do GOD will not look down on us for that. as long as we don't do it just to do it.