Monday, May 13, 2013

Kids and Happiness?

Oh, wow. I just watched the video at this link.

It probably would come as no surprise that I really love and respect the Duggar family. The way my body seems to space things I don't think we have 19 kids in our future...but I'm so glad that there are families who do!!

Before you read the rest of this, take a moment to watch the above video, and then come on back!

Sometimes I feel so overwhelming sad to see what our culture is becoming. But the saddest thing of all is the fact that our American culture is so intensely focused on personal happiness. This mindset is impossible to evade - even the most selfless people in our country bump up against it from time to time (and I'm not one of those people!).

I'm not, of course, saying that there is something wrong with being happy...but feeling obligated to spend your whole life searching for personal happiness above all else? It's a mission doomed to fail in our fallen world.

In this fallen world we live in, suffering is inevitable. Loneliness is inevitable. Sacrificing what you want, at least sometimes, is inevitable. I'm not trying to be's just the reality of the world we live in! I find it very worrying that people are choosing whether or not to welcome children into the world based on whether or not it will make them happy. For example, one of the women interviewed in the above video said that she doesn't dislike kids, but doesn't particularly like infants and toddlers. She certainly isn't alone in that! I'm sure I'm not the only parent out there that personally loves my children, but that doesn't particularly like the infant/toddler stage of development. I find it to be a hard, and often boring, stage. I find it stressful at times. If I were concerned with my personal happiness...well...I would try to find some way to skip that stage of life and go straight for the preschool age!

But parenthood - and life- don't work like that. I have known much happiness in my life - but I am not always happy! Part of what keeps me from feeling too down about my lack of happiness is knowing that this life is not about seeking personal happiness! It's about seeking God with all your heart and knowing that He is your ultimate joy - and that the peace and joy that come from Him surpass any fleeting happiness in this world.

But how to explain that to a world that has fallen so far from thinking of things that way?

How do you and your family witness to the the joy that comes from God alone?


  1. That video made me nauseous (not kidding).
    I hope that God has mercy on those poor people's souls is all I have to say...

    1. It just makes me so sad. Is this the culture our children are going to grow up in? So sad.

  2. I think it should be evident to anyone who watches that video who looks happier though (if this is really "what it's all about" now.) The No Kidding folks look like they have a huge chip on their shoulders whereas the Duggers clearly have found joy through God working in their life... Such an interesting, and sad, perspective on kids.

    1. I think you hit the nail on the head! The best witness we can give to the culture of life is our own joy and love we have for our children...just like the Duggars do!