Is happiness really a good goal?

There is a phrase from Gary Thomas' book Sacred Marriage which has really stuck with me over the past few months since I've read it.  He asks "what if God designed marriage to make us holy more than to make us happy?"  I think this applies to so very many more situations that marriage!  It applies to life!

Our western culture seems to have gotten it wrong.  We think the goal of life is our own happiness.  It is easy, even as a Christian, to get sucked into this mindset and think my 'calling' is all about using my gifts to the fullest to bring fulfillment and satisfaction and even honor to ME.  It's not that we don't want to honor God and help others, it's just that there's a lot of selfishness mixed up in even thoughts that we try to think rightly.

I am finding the 'monastery of motherhood' to be really good at killing some of this desire to be seen, fulfilled, comforted, and honored.  There are, of course, many supremely satisfying moments in being a stay-at-home-mother, and I know that it is a vision of fulfillment for many women to stay home with their children.  There are, however, many opportunities to serve in obscurity here in this home full of chores and children.  And right now this is my ministry.  And God is using it to grow in me the heart of a servant.

I don't think I'm all the way there yet, because I keep being taught this lesson over and again... but hopefully I'll come out better on the other side of these years.  That's his mercy in it I suppose, that there are so many years to continue the refining process in this way.  What a blessing my children are!  Not only in that they are cute and a legacy.  They are also a blessing in that they are God's chosen vehicle right now to mature me.