Exclusive: Greg Laurie says the best way to be unhappy is to obsess with happiness
It's clear that we are living in the last days. So here's the question: What should we be doing in light of that?
The Bible tells us about a man named Enoch who was living during the end times of his own day, because he lived in the period before the Flood, before God judged planet Earth the first time. Enoch had what we might describe as a solo rapture.
He personally was caught up to meet the Lord. Interestingly, there is no other illustration of this in the Bible.
Here's what the Old Testament book of Genesis says about him: "When Enoch was 65 years old, he became the father of Methuselah. After the birth of Methuselah, Enoch lived in close fellowship with God for another 300 years, and he had other sons and daughters. Enoch lived 365 years, walking in close fellowship with God. Then one day he disappeared, because God took him" (5:21–24 NLT).
This passage gives us four truths from Enoch's life that are relevant for believers living in the last days: We need to walk with God, and we need to live lives that are pleasing to God.
If we want to walk with God, then we need to be in sync with him.
The Bible says, "Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?" (Amos 3:3 NKJV)
When I take a walk with my wife, she often asks me to slow down because I'm walking too fast. The idea of taking a walk together is to spend time together.
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The same is true of walking with God. Walking with God does not mean running ahead of him or lagging behind him. It means staying in sync with him.
Christians should have appointments with God. Every day we should have an appointment to read the Bible and pray. Also, we should have an appointment with God to be in church. And we need to keep our appointments.
To walk with God also means pooling resources. It's like a marriage. When you marry someone, everything then belongs to the two of you. You pool your resources. The same is true of our relationship with God.
We bring everything we have to the table, and the good news is that God brings everything that he has to the table as well.
Jesus summed it up in this statement: "I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations" (Matthew 28:18–19 NLT). When we come into a relationship with God, his power is available to us.
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Not only did Enoch walk with God, but he also lived a life that pleased God. The Bible tells us, "It was by faith that Enoch was taken up to heaven without dying – 'he disappeared, because God took him.' For before he was taken up, he was known as a person who pleased God" (Hebrews 11:5 NLT).
Every Christian has a testimony, a story of how they came to faith. And guess what? People you know have a story about you. You have a reputation, things that people say about you. Enoch's reputation was that he pleased God. This is very important.
Every day we face three possible motivations about who we will please: 1) you can please yourself; 2) you can seek to please other people; or 3) you can seek to please God. But you can't do all three.
If you live to please yourself, you will live a miserable life. In fact, the best way to be unhappy is to spend your life in the pursuit of being happy. That is not the way to live. If you live primarily for yourself, you never will be pleased.
Then again, if you live to please others, you may be even more miserable. If you're a people pleaser, then you get really upset if you don't get enough likes – or if you get a little pushback – on your social media posts. But you will have a very difficult life if you live to please other people.
The person you should want to please is God. But I have to tell you this: If you choose to please God, not everyone will be pleased. If you live a godly life and stand for truth, you will face opposition.
The Bible says that "all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution" (2 Timothy 3:12 NKJV).
When you're living a life that is pleasing to the Lord, some people will be very unhappy about it. Just know that. Jesus said, "The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him" (John 8:29 NKJV). What an amazing statement.
I think I could say that I sometimes do the things that please the Father. And I would like to say that I usually do the things that please the Father. But Jesus can say, "I always do the things that please the Father."
Yet how do we know whether we're pleasing God? One thing that pleases God is when we're treated unfairly and we endure it.
The Bible says, "For God is pleased when, conscious of his will, you patiently endure unjust treatment" (1 Peter 2:19 NLT).
However, you get no credit for being patient if you're doing wrong. On the other hand, if you suffer for doing what's right, and you're patient beneath the blows, God is pleased with you. So, if you've been misrepresented or mistreated and you haven't struck back, it pleases God.
Another thing that pleases God is when we worship him. Hebrews 13:15–16 tells us, "Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased" (NKJV).
Worshiping God pleases Him. And when you reach out to someone who is in need, when you help someone in the name of the Lord, that pleases God as well.
Like Enoch, we need to walk with God in the days in which we're living. And we should want to live lives that are pleasing to Him.
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