Sweet sleep comes to those who work hard, regardless of how much or how little they’ve eaten. Ecclesiastes 5:12 (VOICE)
Over the past few days we’ve been discussing happiness traps. People often try to find happiness in ineffective ways. They go after it through possessions, money, status and success, and although there is nothing wrong with any of these on their own, they only result in temporary happiness.
Another major misconception people have is they assume that more leisure time will bring them happiness. They think that if they could afford more time off, they’d be happier. Some put up with unfulfilling lives hanging on to the hope that when they retire, they’ll finally find the happiness they’ve been waiting for. Unfortunately, they’re often disappointed.
You see, too much leisure time often has the opposite effect on people. God gave you skills and abilities to make a difference in this world. If all you do is sit in a hammock on a beach all day, eventually you’ll feel unsatisfied.
I’m not saying that you can’t enjoy holidays or retirement. There’s nothing like good, hard work to make you enjoy your time off and appreciate God’s blessings in your life. Do what you enjoy doing, but don’t forget your purpose. Jesus gave us a Great Commission for a reason—He wants us to bring others to a relationship with Him.
If you’re not experiencing joy, don’t wait until you retire or go on holidays to start. You can begin to develop more joy in your life now. Keep reading over the next few days as we cover more happiness traps and joy skills.