What are you pursuing?

I was listening to a sermon recently on contentment and this sentence stood out.

As long as your pursuit is of happiness, you will likely not ever find contentment.

So, it begs the question, “What are you pursuing?”

We are told in Psalm 34 to seek peace and pursue it.

Hosea tells us to pursue the knowledge of God.

Paul tells us in 1 Timothy 6:11 that we are to pursue righteousness…godliness… faith…love…endurance and gentleness.

The writer of Hebrews tells us to pursue peace with everyone and holiness. This passage goes on to warn against bitterness, which can cause trouble and defile many. I can’t help but think that bitterness creeps in when we are in pursuit of the wrong things.

The Lord is not opposed to happiness.  We are told that Whoever trusts in the Lord, happy is he. He who has mercy on the poor, happy is he. Happy is he whose hope is in the Lord. Happy is the man who finds wisdom.

The Lord is not opposed to happiness. The key, however, is that happiness is not the goal.

The goal:  To trust in the Lord

The goal:  To have mercy on the poor

The goal:  To place our hope in the Lord

The goal:  To seek wisdom

Our goal is not happiness.  Our pursuit should not be of happiness, but of Him.

So, what are you pursuing?