Up front I want to say that my inspiration for this post came from the following web-site: tuaw.com. The article isn’t necessarily an inspirational piece by any means but the comments below the article struck something inside of me. One user posted that it doesn’t matter to him how much the new iPhone costs, he just wants it…no matter what. (paraphrase)

My question on this one is simple: Do you want happiness or do you want more technology? It seems as though we have entered into a world that allows us to “feel” happy even when we’re not. How does it foster this type of environment? Good question. Allow me to elaborate.

Personally, I feel good when I get a new toy. So you need to know that as I write this post on my beautiful MacBook with my wireless aluminum keyboard and utilize my wireless famed “Mighty Mouse” it just feels great! Hold on a sec … I’m getting a phone call……..

Ahhh, that felt great to pick up my iPhone 3G, answer it and then talk on it. Hopefully you sense the sarcasm and understand that while I do enjoy those things, they don’t truly make me happy. Happiness is something deeper than what man made objects can brings us. For myself I believe that if we seek happiness from these man made toys we will fail each time miserably. See, what happens is inevitable. Eventually my iPhone 3G will be out of date. The moment I walked out of the Apple Store with my MacBook it became out of date. Tomorrow my wireless keyboard will be a thing of the past as will it’s partner in crime the “Mighty Mouse.” So, in order to continue my happiness I must spend more money, possibly fall deeper into debt, and then repeat the cycle all over again within a year or less. Have I been guilty of this vicious circle? Absolutely! Have I realized the error of those ways? You bet! I don’t need to spend money to find happiness, or do I?

Joy is what we really want. Even if we don’t know that fact to be true, we seek joy without even realizing it.

Luke 2:10 “I bring you good tidings of great JOY.”

John 14:11 “These things I have spoken to you, that my JOY may remain in you, and that your JOY may be full.”

John 16:23 ”And in that day you will ask me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you. Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask and you will receive, that your JOY may be full.”

It doesn’t appear as though this “JOY” … this “happiness” … if you will, can be purchased. In fact it’s almost as if “JOY” is something we already have but sometimes runs low. Jesus is clear to remind us that if we seek Him and ask of Him, in His name he will fill our “JOY” to the top. Scripture is also clear that what Jesus brings is forever. One day you and I will no longer be on this earth. We will be in eternity with the Lord or in eternity seperated from the Lord. Either way we will no longer have the “things” of this world with us. Picture a cup of water that eventually runs dry after we drink it. We drink the water because we thirst. The water quenches our thirst and gives us strength and nutrients our body needs to continue on throughout life. Eventually that cup will be empty and we must refill it so that we can drink again. That cup of water takes care of the physical side of our life. But, what about the spiritual side? Even people who don’t believe in God are usually, in some sense, spiritual. Well, according to scripture, Jesus fills that “spiritual cup” like no one else can, or better yet, like nothing else can.

So I pose the following questions: Do you agree? And it’s okay if you don’t, I want to hear from you. What is happiness? What is joy? Where do we find it? What fills your “JOY”? And last but not least: As of right now, what makes YOU happy?

I have my thoughts, but I’d love to hear what you think.

You can read more of Tony's blogs at tonyRmoran.com.