Today's Daily Bread
Are parents trying too hard to make their kids happy? And is that
having the opposite effect? These questions introduce an interview with
Lori Gottlieb, author of an article on the subject of unhappy young
adults. Her conclusion: Yes. Parents who refuse to let their children
experience failure or sadness give them a false view of the world and do
not prepare them for the harsh realities of adult life. They’re left
feeling empty and anxious.
Some Christians expect that the Lord will be the kind of parent who
protects them from all sorrow and disappointment. But that’s not the
kind of Father He is. He lovingly allows His children to go through
suffering (Isa. 43:2; 1 Thess. 3:3).
When we start with the mistaken belief that it’s an easy life that
will make us truly happy, we become weary trying to live out our faulty
belief. But when we face the truth that life is difficult, we can invest
our lives in the pursuit of a good and godly life instead. That kind of
life strengthens us for the times when life is difficult.
God’s goal is to make us holy, not just happy (1 Thess. 3:13). And
when we are holy, we are more likely to be truly happy and content.
Must I be carried to the skies
On flowery beds of ease,
While others fought to win the prize,
And sailed through bloody seas? —Watts
On flowery beds of ease,
While others fought to win the prize,
And sailed through bloody seas? —Watts
A contented person has learned
to accept the bitter with the sweet.
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