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III-2. SEVEN PATHS TO HAPPINESS
(Youth Day)
(Prov. 14:12 and John 4:14).

Do you ever sense, deep down, that life must be more than you’re ex­per­iencing? Well, there’s a children’s story about a caterpillar named Stripe who decided to climb a huge mountain of caterpillars—all trying to get to the top.

As Stripe plunged into the pile he asked, “What’s at the top?”
Another climb­er responded, “No one knows, but it must be awfully good because every­body’s trying to get there!”

Stripe found that moving up the moun­tain was a struggle. He was push­ed and kicked and stepped on. It was “climb or be climbed.” But Stripe con­tinued to push and shove. “Don’t blame me if you don’t succeed? It’s a tough life!” he yelled to any complain­ers.

Finally, Stripe neared the top of this humongous mountain of caterpil­lars. Then, he heard a tiny whisper from the top:
“There’s nothing up here at all!”
It was answered by another: “Quiet, you fool! They’ll hear you down there. We’re where they want to be and that’s what counts.”

And as he looked ahead, he saw something even more disturbing. Ev­ery few moments there was a tremendous shaking that sent those at the top crash­ing to their death below. Stripe felt aw­ful. He now knew that he’d spent his whole life getting to a place that gave him nothing but disillusionment and death.

You see, all those caterpillars real­ly wanted happiness, but they didn’t know how to find it.

Don Herold wrote: “Unhappiness is not knowing what you want and kill­ing yourself to get it.”

According to legend, a desert no­mad, after desperately searching for wat­er in all directions, finally found a bubbling spring inside his own tent.

That’s our story. We desperately search for happiness in all directions, when the source is really within us. It’s illogical to believe that if only the world and all the people in it would change, we’d be happy.

Psychologist Wayne Dyer jokes, “Sure, go out there and round up all those folks that are making your life mis­erable and I’ll treat them, and then you’ll be happy.”

Too many of us seek happiness by pursuing dead end paths.

I. FIRST, THERE’S THE PATH OF POPULARITY.

Everyone wants acceptance and approval. Everyone wants to be liked. Even as children we think, “If I get the most valentines; If I get the most votes; If I have the most friends, then I’ll be pop­ular. And If I’m popular, I’ll be happy.”

Instead, we become people pleas­ers and people are notoriously fickle. The actors who are applauded today are often booed tomorrow. Jesus said, “Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for that is how their fathers treat­ed the false prophets” (Luke 6:26).

Thomas Carlyle said, “Public opin­ion is the greatest lie in the world.” When it comes to happiness, populari­ty is a dead end path.

II. SECOND, THERE’S THE PATH OF PLEASURE.

Fun and excitement are won­der­ful distractors. We think, “If I can go on enough trips; If I can attend enough parties; If I can play enough games, then I’ll have pleasure. And if I can have enough pleasure, I’ll be happy.”

Instead, we become addicted to dangerous and expensive novelties. Solomon said, ”He who loves pleasure will become a poor man . . .“ (Prov. 21:17).

Paul said, “But the widow who lives for pleasure is dead even while she lives” (I Tim. 5:6).

The poet, Robert Burns, wrote:

Vain pleasures are like poppies spread.
You seize the flower, it’s bloom is shed.
Or like the snowfall in a river.
One moment white, then melts forever.

When it comes to happiness, pleasure is a dead end path.

III. THIRD, THERE’S THE PATH OF POSSESSIONS.

We amass food, clothes, houses, cars, bank accounts and various col­lec­tions. We always think, “If I can build a bigger house; If I can get a newer car; If I can buy the latest clothes, then I’ll have more possessions. And if I can just get more possessions, I’ll be hap­py.”

We seem to believe the world’s motto that “The man who dies with the most toys wins.” But Jesus said, “Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his pos­ses­sions” (Luke 12:15).

Thomas Adams said, “The cov­e­tous man pines in plenty like Tantalus, up to his chin in water and yet thirsty.”

When it comes to happiness, pos­sessions is a dead end path.

IV. FOURTH, THERE’S THE PATH OF POWER.

Some of us compete for positions of authority. We want to control our lives and our business, and indeed our entire environment. We think, “If I can get a promotion; If I can win the elec­tion; If I can reach a higher social stat­us, then I’ll have greater power. And if I have greater power, I’ll be happy.”

But Jesus said, “Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave” (Matt. 20:26-27).

Charles Colton said, “No man is wise enough or good enough to be trust­ed with unlimited power.”

When it comes to happiness, power is a dead end path.

V. FIFTH, THERE’S THE PATH OF PROMINENCE.

Most of us want recognition and fame. We like to get credit for our ac­com­plishments. We envy those who re­ceive awards and honors. We think, “If I can be named ‘Man of the year’; If I can be featured in the newspaper; If I can receive compliments and applause, then I’ll be prominent. And if I can just achieve the prominence I deserve, I’ll be happy.”

But Paul said, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in hu­mility consider others better than your­selves” (Phil. 2:3).

Horace Greely said, “Fame is vapor. Only character endures.”

When it comes to happiness, prom­i­nence is a dead end path.

VI. SIXTH, THERE’S THE PATH OF PERFORMANCE.

One of the most productive paths requires effort. We achieve; we suc­ceed; we become workaholics. We think, “If I can only finish one more pro­ject; If I can only make one more sale; If I can only close one more deal, then I’ll be performing adequately. And If I’m performing adequately, I’ll be hap­py.”

But Paul said, “It is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast” (Eph. 2:8–9).

Margaret Fuller said, “Too often men, for the sake of making a living, for­get to live.”

When it comes to happiness, per­formance is a dead end path.

Now, of course, none of these paths is totally wrong. In fact, we need elements of each. Popularity and hav­ing friends are good things. Plea­sure and enjoying life are good things.
Pos­sessing nice clothes and comfor­ta­ble living quarters are good things. Us­ing power and control wisely are good things.
Prominence and approval that are merited are good things.
Perform­ance and achievements are certainly good things. But none of these alone will lead to permanent happiness.

In fact, most people don’t even know what they really want.
Over and over we hear people say, “I just want to be happy.”
This sounds reasonable; but as a life goal, it’s destined for fail­ure. A puppy dog wants to be happy, but unless you’re willing to settle for a bone and a flea collar, you’ll have to be more precise about what you as a unique individual actually want.

Popularity, pleasure, posses­sions, power, prominence and per­form­ance are not enough.

VII. TO BE REALLY HAPPY, WE NEED SOMETHING ELSE.
WE NEED PURPOSE.

Our purpose includes our goals, our mission and our calling.
Paul said, “One thing I do: Forgetting what is be­hind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me . . .” (Phil. 3:13-14).

Notice, Paul believed God had a specific purpose for his life.
To be hap­py, we must find and fulfil that pur­pose. This gives life meaning. It lets us feel that we can make a difference.

Holocaust survivor, Victor Frankl said: “So many people are un­happy today because they fail to under­stand what human existence is all about. Until we recognize that life is not just something to be enjoyed, but rather a task that each of us is assigned, we’ll never find meaning and will never be truly happy.”

What is your purpose in life? Even very young people can begin to con­sider their future. Your purpose must be something you enjoy. It must be something that uses your talents. It must be something that improves con­di­tions here on earth. It must be what God is calling you to do.

75% of all people are unhappy with their jobs and their lives.
They are on dead end paths.

Unfortunately there are many dead end paths. Years ago, a whole regiment of British troops destroyed it­self in the Nubian desert. When they ran low on water, and became very thirsty, they were deceived by the ap­pear­ance of a mirage that looked like a beautiful lake. In fact, they insisted on being taken there. Their guide tried to tell them that the lake was unreal and he refused to lose precious time by wan­dering off course. But, he was fi­nal­ly killed by the desperate soldiers who rushed toward the welcome wat­er. Thirsty and faint, they hurried over the burning sand, getting farther and far­ther away from their destination. The mocking desert led them on and the false water tempted them. At last, the delusion vanished. The fatal lake had turned to burning sand. Not a single man escaped the desert. Later their shriveled corpses were found by a search party.

The Scripture says, “There is a way which seemeth right unto man, but the end thereof are the ways of death."(Prov. 14:12).

Don’t follow dead end paths. Don’t fall for the mirage of materialism. Popularity and pleasure and pos-ses­sions and power and prominence and performance will deceive you. Only a worthwhile spiritual purpose will give you the living water.
Jesus said, “Who­ever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of wat­er welling up to eternal life”(John 4:14).

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These messages are from an unpublished manuscript © copyrighted by Miles and Maralene Wesner, Idabel, OK. Please use them in any way you think appropriate. The only thing we ask is that you give credit for original material in published works.

Material in our sermons usually present the Gospel from a psychological point of view.

My ministry has been blessed immeasurably by reading other people’s sermons. When I started preaching 55 years ago, I waited for “inspiration” (usually Saturday night, about
midnight) before I began my sermon preparation. Then, I discovered it wasn’t inspiration at all—it was sheer PANIC. I would have welcomed this service.

Miles E. Wesner