Message on a sign

This past week I drove past the building where a church meets (I refuse to call the building a "church"). Their sign had the following statement - The Magical Formula for Happiness and Success is J-E-S-U-S. I drove by a second time to make sure I had read it correctly!

HMMM...I am puzzling over this one...Jesus never said much about a magical formula. He did invite people to give up their security (for a rich young man it meant selling all his wealth and giving it away...for Peter and Andrew, James and John, it meant giving up the security of the family business). He did tell us that to be a disciple of His meant that daily we would have to take up our cross. He invites us to follow His example of giving up our rights to self determination so that the will of the Father would be done. (see Philippians 2:5-11).

I am not going to try to discern the motives of those who put the message on the sign. I do know however, that we often attempt to make the message of Jesus somehow more attractive. Bev (my wife) recently had a conversation with a believer who came to Christ many years ago. This lady realizes that some of her current disillusionment comes from the fact that she believed that when she came to Christ, everything would somehow be easier. Yet she has discovered that in many ways, following Jesus has made life more difficult.

If we define success and happiness according to the definition of the world in which we live, then the quote on the sign is very incorrect. Jesus is not some self-help guru interested in making you happy. We do people (and Jesus) a great disservice by presenting Jesus as the Oprah of God's kingdom. He is far more radical and dangerous than Oprah.

On the other hand, if we define happiness and success according to definition of God, then following Jesus is the answer. In the realm of God, as seen in the example of the life Jesus, success comes as we choose to give up our rights to self-determination. True happiness and fulfillment happens only as we take up our cross. Resurrection life (abundant life) happens only on the heels of death.

There is no magical formula for happiness and success! I don't believe we can order happiness for three equal payments of $49.99 plus $6.95 shipping and handling. All we can do is heed the invitation of Jesus to follow Him embracing both the cost and the joy.