Dedication
I would like to dedicate this
book to all my friends who have been the greatest encouragement in my
life. Thanks for believing in me even when nobody did, you are friends
from heaven. There are things we may not always agree upon but that’s
fine, I like it when there are people who think differently from me.
You guys are amazing – may God bless you!
Thanks to all the people who
have positively contributed to my life in any form. Especially those
of you who were “kicking” me to complete this book. Without your
support, this book is supposed to be just a dream in my mind. As we
look forward to more printing, you are the people who will make these
writings famous and useful. This book I give unto the Namibian people
as a gift that they will be blessed as they page through it.
A special tribute to my late
mother Maria N. Musunga, I wish to have known you. It was probably
meant to be – it’s sad that you didn’t live to see or witness this
work. I’m proud that you were my mother and I don’t regret that fact.
Preliminary
The search for happiness and
meaning are things, which lie at the core of every human heart. Both
philosophy and psychology over the years has battled to explain these
entities that underlie the human existence. The question for meaning
is increasingly surfacing in the modern generation and people want
answers to the questions of – who am I? Why am I here? Where do I come
from? What is the meaning of life? And where do we go from here?
Admittedly, these questions have led humanity to many alternative
activities in order to find happiness and meaning. These
activities include but not limited to Religion, Pleasure, Materialism,
Knowledge, Money, and Power.
In my opinion, and for the
purpose of this book, these are the main activities, which people seek
after as methods of attaining happiness. I do not know of anyone
regardless of their illiteracy that desires to be constantly unhappy –
even the cruelest of humans find at least “illusory” happiness in
their atrocities if not happiness by their own definition. Not
that I justify their atrocities but in their eyes they find a form of
happiness in inflicting pain upon others e.g. a serial killer or a
psycho that is on a spree of killing people finds a form of
satisfaction or happiness – though this maybe debated as a
disadvantaged mental disposition.
Every human being desires to
be happy in one way or another i.e. each finds something wherein they
may find and define some kind of happiness and satisfaction. Most of
our actions are motivated by the mere purpose of wanting to attain
happiness in the end. The woman that desires her freedom and personal
happiness will sacrifice her unborn baby by aborting it. Though some
of the human acts may be defined as evil or immoral, the motivating
factor still remain that they want to have happiness as the chief end.
For example, a Don Juanist may find his happiness in the company of
prostitutes, which will in turn be wrong in the eyes of a monk or a
nun, priest, pastor, guru, rabbi etc. The Nazis found at least some
sort of happiness in their mission of exterminating the Jews, which in
turn was called as atrocities against humanity by the human rights
activists. Fundamental Moslems find some sort of happiness in their
executions of suicide bombings worldwide, which are appraised as
terrorist activities by the political analysts of the West.
Yet in all these people find
some sort of “happiness” and a sense of meaning or purpose for their
existence. We are going to look at the above-mentioned activities to
find out whether our happiness is in them or is it to be found
somewhere else other than in these activities. Is our happiness
dependent on the things that we do or is it to be in something much
greater than ourselves? Do these activities give us happiness or are
they just glimpses of what happiness “might” be? Is our meaning to be
interpreted by what we do? What gives meaning to life?
We hear our youth saying
constantly that, “I just wanna be happy for all my life, whatever will
make me happy I will do, I just wanna be happy.” Everybody wants to be
happy sometimes even at any cost as long as it will bring happiness
even if it is just temporary i.e. even if it is just obscure
happiness. This search for happiness and meaning is driving many
people to some of the unimaginable practices in life e.g. adventure
through bungee jumping, sky diving, mountain climbing or being a
street fighter, just to find something to define oneself.
There is surely emptiness in
man that needs to be filled, but can he find a substance that is both
in quantity and quality large enough to fill the infinite emptiness of
his soul. This remains the daunting task to man’s intelligence and
efforts. Does he have the answer in himself or must it be provided to
him from outside? Surely man is not left alone to grabble in the
universe as some kind of a cosmic orphan. Even in the event of
a century that is loaded with much insecurity, despair, doubt, ethical
debates, life threatening circumstances, economic inequalities, fear,
financial crises, political chaos, skepticism, ideological wars, and
many more confusions; an answer still remains to mankind.
Something can be done about
the present situation of humanity we are not left alone to plunge into
hopelessness. There is a Guide in the universe that directs the
course of humanity and there is an answer to man’s situation.
Chapter One
Religion
Religion places
us at least on a temporary parole from the sense of feeling guilt,
weakness, hopelessness, fear, and insecurity of life after death etc.
With the increase of
religious freedom, the 21st century has been booming with
new religious movements. There is a fast growth of cultic movements
all over the world with the purpose of giving happiness and meaning to
the seekers’ lives. In Africa with the increasing political, economic,
and social upheaval, religion seems to provide answers to a desperate
human race. People go on mountains, cross rivers, make sacrifices,
consult dead spirits, visit shamans, wear amulets, chew herbs from
witchdoctors etc with the promise of finding happiness, material
prosperity, rest, and peace for their lives. As long as it promises
them happiness they will do anything to experiment (ethical or
unethical, religious or profane), all they want is to find happiness
and meaning.
Many people claim to have
found satisfaction in religion even if it is only in terms of private
perception and such satisfaction would by their own conclusion be
interpreted as happiness. Personality cults create a sense of
self-awareness and the discovery of one’s potentials and supernatural
abilities. Acceptance in cultic groups gives people a sense of
belonging and reason for living. For example a transcendentalist[1]
finds happiness out of the “experience” of being in touch with
the “supernatural self” and cosmic oneness and the belief of having
found God; at least the nominal-Christian finds some sort of
satisfaction in the fact that they attend church and pray
occasionally; the Jehovah’s Witnesses find a form of satisfaction and
meaning as they forcefully try to evangelize everyone, as doing this
adds credit to their “eternal salvation”; hypnosis “discovers” the
person’s apparently hidden doubts, insecurities, emotions, and even
secret knowledge and powers; the animist finds meaning in the rituals
of his worship and without it life carries no meaning; and the Muslim
from the extremists wing feels a sense of satisfaction when carrying
out suicide bombing in the name of Allah and the termination of
the infidels.
All these things are
motivated by the sense of trying to find happiness, meaning, relieve
from condemnation, and the ponderousness of life. Religion places us
at least
on a temporary parole from the sense of feeling guilt, weakness,
hopelessness, fear, and insecurity of life after death etc.
The search for a standard
that is consistent at all times drives us to seek for help from some
powers much higher than ourselves and it is believed by some that that
power is in self-discovery (humanism, new-age and many other
eastern religions believe this). At least the hyper-faith movements
provide apparent permanent solutions through positive confessions,
naming and claiming, and financial seed sowing as a way out of
financial difficulties (even if it is just illusive in character).
Those that are caught up in
all these religious activities wish to attain the ultimate
level of happiness and meaning in this life i.e. it serves as a
security measure against unhappiness and misery in life. Religion
offers some
guarantees for the afterlife happiness e.g. reincarnation for
the Hindus and eternal life in paradise for the Muslims with many
pleasures including a couple of virgins.
In man is a natural
inclination of desiring for eternal happiness and for some religion
gives them a glimpse of this eternal bliss. Thus, man’s search for
meaning and happiness stretches beyond just the now, he wants to have
it also in the afterlife. Is it not impressive when the Buddhist monk
has dedicated the whole of his life to religious activities and living
in the temples of Buddha? Out of sincere ignorance of heart the Roman
Catholics embrace wax candle lightings, veneration of angels, dead
saints and images, the Mass as a daily celebration, Worship of Mary as
the mother of God, the doctrine of purgatory, kissing the pope's
foot, Temporal power of the pope, worship of relics, holy water
blessed by the priest and fasting on Fridays.
The question remains that,
how can things of such great dedication lack to contain any form of
happiness or lack in defining the meaning of life? There should be
some degree of happiness and meaning even if it were just imaginary or
temporary? There must be some sort of driving force that sustains them
to carry out these religious rituals or activities. There must be some
kind of stimulus that keeps them going or something that they are
pursuing to achieve (illusory or real).
Since religious activities
places a person in a position of being in touch with the spiritual
world, people find some sort of satisfaction for being able to switch
into another realm separate from the physical.
The Shortcoming of Religion
Well examined we find that
religion cannot offer the happiness that man is seeking. For happiness
to exist in such an environment man has to constantly be involved in
religious rituals in order to maintain it. Thus, in religion people
become happy without being happy; it offers mechanistic happiness – a
happiness that one has to evoke. This would mean that the Muslim can
only be guaranteed of eternal happiness by killing and dying for Allah
(as with what is happening amongst the fundamentalists in the world);
the Jehovah’s Witness has to live under the constant proclamation of
their doctrines in order to at least have an interpretation of meaning
or reason for living; and there must be a continuing program for
hypnosis to keep on freeing the memory from unpleasant thoughts and
fears in order to keep the happiness.
Any religion based on simply
man-made philosophies must continue to find newer methods to reinvent
the wheel of its changing truth along with the changing human cultures
and surroundings. With the failure in man’s religion to provide
standard objectives of verifiable truth, it leads us to conclude that
happiness cannot be found in such inconsistent systems that are by the
way still developing. It cannot define for us the meaning of our lives
by engaging us into programs and activities. For religion to be able
to produce factual happiness there must be at least some quantifiable
standard test that it has past.
Religion that is based on
just man-made philosophies and practices is not true religion and it
cannot produce happiness or give the meaning of life. Thus, our
happiness is not in man-made religion that can only make us happy as
long as we are within such environments. True happiness can only
spring out of a
Source that is present at all times and at all places, that
is, no matter where we go this happiness has to be with us and the
meaning of our lives cannot be removed no matter of where we happen to
find ourselves.
Ultimate happiness and
meaning of life is not achievable through mere philosophical religion,
and any religious group that makes such claims is giving false hope to
its followers. Religion that is primarily for the reason of personal
happiness and not salvation is false religion. As it is taught by many
hyper-faith teachers that one has to be constantly happy as a sign of
continuous victory in life and circumstances. Such theories overlook
the real need of humanity – that of reconciliation to God. Ultimate
happiness and meaning can only spring out a relationship in which God
reveals himself to man not the other way around. We cannot find God –
for such a God will not be able to save us, as we are the ones that
must invent things to evoke his activity. We may search after God but
we cannot claim that we found him, for the human mind cannot
understand how God is revealed just through mere religious rituals. A
God that is found by man will be man, this will in turn make us
humanists.
It is required that we have
faith upon the witness of scripture or the Bible in order to know God.
Man is not in need of rituals he is in need of a relationship. Man
doesn’t need a guru, he needs Yahweh. Man doesn’t need a religious
leader he needs the Creator. Your search for meaning in religion can
never be satisfied as long as the efforts depend on you. You need to
trust in the redeeming grace of God for he cannot be appeased through
religious activities.
Man in himself does not have
the will and simple desire to choose God’s ways and this answers to
what Jesus said: “You did not choose Me, but I chose you…No man can
come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will
raise him up at the last day.”[2]
“The world has many religions; it has but one gospel.”[3]
Chapter Two
Pleasure
There is no
amount of pleasure that will compensate for man’s inner emptiness or
the vacuum in his soul.
Pleasure can be defined as
comfort, delight, enjoyment, luxuriation, delectation, pleasantness,
sexual pleasure etc. It characterizes a profound desire that comes
through certain activities that stimulate our feelings. Though this is
hard to define at least every human being that I know desires to
experience this ecstasy at one time or another be it through food,
sports, partying, sex, hobbies etc.
I listen to instrumentals or
soft music (African Jazz) in the evenings, it eases some of the
tensions of the day as I rest my body on the bed and slip into the
dream world. By my explanation that would be pleasure to me, it gives
me some sense of satisfaction. I do some physical exercises and take
vitamins for the strengthening of my body’s immune system. That is
pleasure in my definition because I feel a sense of satisfaction.
But in our society with
growing Hedonistic[4]
tendencies, pleasure has become the center of acquiring happiness and
defining life’s purpose. Many forms of pleasure seeking are being
discovered and invented by the day. Many of them are determined by
personal interpretations i.e. it is wrong or right according to the
individual’s interpretation. This would mean that homosexuality,
voyeurism, adultery, gluttony, pornography, drunkenness, premarital
sex, and orgies etc are determined by the individuals involved as
wrong or right. Thus, the judgment of morality is left to those
involved to judge for themselves. As long as the individuals involved
in the acts find some sort of happiness and meaning it may as well be
justified as right because it makes them somehow happy.
Our generation is filled with
party throwing than any other that has lived before us, all in the
name of seeking for pleasure. The alcoholic finds some sort of
happiness in dosing himself with whiskey daily as this helps him
escape some of the realities of the problems he encounters in life. The
depressed man finds some sort of happiness in the pleasure of having
sex with any woman that will be available just to ease some tensions
in him.
In search of relieve from
inner and external tensions we are trying all that we can to ease
ourselves. For example, hallucinogenic drugs in nightclubs and streets
have become a modern form of pleasure for many young people. All they
want is to fill that emptiness inside them with something.
If pleasure is the thing that
brings us happiness, what happens if the things in which we find
pleasure become defective in their nature and detrimental to our
health or otherwise? For example: What happens to the happiness of the
alcoholic if he discovers that the liquor he has been taking is
actually poisonous? What happiness remains for the glutton in the time
of scarcity? What happiness remains to the free sex advocate when
HIV/AIDS hinders the process of sexual encounters with many partners?
What happens at the point when a revolution begins to demand for
changes on our pleasures because of the society’s beliefs, modern
technological demands, religious factions, and political tensions,
will there still be happiness left?
Somehow, life comes to a
break indicating that pleasure will not constantly give us happiness
and it cannot define the meaning of life. For sooner than later we all
enter the boredom paradigm i.e. we desire for things so much just to
have them and discover that they are not articles of the desired
happiness.
The same thing that gave us
pleasure and at least temporary happiness is soon replaced with
something newer and more promising if not merely just by appeal rather
than in quality. Thus, the old sex partner is soon replaced with a
newer one that seem to be more promising in body features, walks,
voice tone; the old brand of wine is replaced with the newer that has
a more attractive color and design and; our taste for food is soon
replaced by the competition of Chinese and Western food etc.
The more pleasure we seek the
more we are to face up with disappointments on the way when we
discover that all the happiness we obtained through our pleasures were
built on foundations of clay. Everything begins to crumble and all the
activities of pleasure begin to leave us with defects in body, mind,
and spirit. Our eardrums are left with hearing aids by loud music;
free sex leaves us with disease in our bodies; pleasure for food
leaves us with exogenous obesity; drugs leaves us with damaged brain
cells; our hearts are left in pieces as we fluctuate from one
relationship to another seeking for sexual satisfaction.
We discover at the end of our
pseudo panorama of pleasure that we are left with what we cannot catch
or have at our disposal as part of our possessions – WIND.
Is Pleasure Wrong?
Would this mean that to have
a good time in life is wrong? No. It is healthy when the husband
decides to take his wife for a special treat on a Valentine’s Day
(whatever that means); a group of young people calling for an outing
or camping filled with fun and games; listening to heart soothing
music and dancing to the beat of grooving music; a bike-ride after
good rain showers all these are good things. However, when they become
the modes for seeking meaning and identifying happiness, they become
mere foundations of sand, which in turn make them meaningless.
When we take pleasure in
things that are demeaning or anti-social they are not only wrong when
they are excessively used, any pleasure that goes against our
conscience enslaves us to guilt. What justification is there for
voyeurism, pedophilia, child or adult pornography, homosexuality,
hallucinogenic drugs? Even if these pleasures were to be politically
declared as natural, majority of people would detest such acts not
just by reason of religious conviction but by moral judgment, they are
unacceptable!
There is no human society
that agrees with that kind of pleasure to the full even where
Christianity has never been accepted, they have always been rejected.
For pleasures of this kind result into psychosomatic illnesses e.g.
emotional instability, guilt, dependency, obsession, and poor mental
judgment and the deadening of one’s conscience.
If we are to build our lives
merely on pleasure, we are heading for disaster. For pleasure at some
point in life comes to a standstill or replaced, in itself it has no
ability of making us happy. Our happiness does not only depend on
enjoyment of all the good things or in whatever our senses desire, for
there are restrictions that govern all enjoyment. Thus, pleasure is
but temporary and one cannot build life on such an inconsistent
system. After we wake from the sleep, in which we have been enjoying
our pleasures we are faced with the reality of our unhappiness. So
pleasure cannot compensate for the gap of unhappiness and
meaninglessness that lies deep within our souls. There is more to the
soul’s cry than trying to fill it up with all sorts of existing
pleasures.
There is no amount of
pleasure that will compensate for man’s inner emptiness or the vacuum
in his soul. You cannot hide behind pleasure as having found the
happiness and meaning of life. Pleasure is vanity and I think the
earlier one comes to this discovery the better:
I said in my heart, Come now,
I will prove thee with mirth; therefore enjoy pleasure: and,
behold, this also was vanity.
Chapter Three
Materialism And Possessions
A lifestyle merely defined by
material possessions is self-deception…for one creates now a problem
of how to maintain that lifestyle, daily getting filled with the fear
of losing everything and not knowing how to face up to the
embarrassment.
Striving for private economic
freedom has made us aware of our need for stuff but it has also turned
us into its slaves – the very opposite of what was to be achieved. In
this system men/women find their happiness merely in the gathering of
stuffs, which in turn would show their prestige, achievements, wealth,
and economic stability over others. It is a happiness that is defined
by having what someone else doesn’t have and possibly definition of
life.
In addition, one must have
what those who are considered to be in the upper class have. It
somehow boosts a sense of personal security and comfort but, can it
offer a permanent solution to the quest for happiness. Having a
collection of stuff gives a sense of superiority, power, and being in
“charge of life.” However, I doubt that it can serve as a remedy
against meaningless and fill the gap of unhappiness in us.
There are so many searches
for stuff, stuff and stuff. But these stuffs are not guarantees for a
permanent solution to the emptiness of the soul. For after having
obtained whatever material thing we want, we become bored that these
things don’t really have what we are looking for and we seek to
replace them with something more promising. So the cycle
continues without the end we are looking to achieve.
A young man finds contentment
in the number of automobiles parked in his garage and backyard; a
young lady finds happiness in the constant collections of
jewelry in her safe; a housewife finds happiness in the
collection of expensive furniture of all sorts in her house; and a
lonely woman finds happiness in constant shopping of clothing from all
famous boutiques and designers. Young girls (at least in the context
of my country) give themselves over to sex just to have material
stuffs because they feel inadequate and unhappy for not
having some of these “luxuries.” Yes almost every modern youth wants
to have a mobile phone, a laptop, a home theater system, a flat screen
TV set, own apartment, a flashy sport car, a high powered sound
system, the latest fashion clothing, and a long collection of sport
clothes brands etceteras.
Any happiness that is solely
determined on the ground of one’s possessions is false, for such
happiness can be lost with the loss of possessions. Such form of
happiness must be fought for in order to have it i.e. no matter the
cost as long as they sense an appearance of happiness.
Materialism’s Inadequacy
With the promotion of
materialism as a form of attaining happiness and a newer definition of
prosperity in the West, the chances of identifying empty spaces are
enormous. I remember the experiment in my science class in high school
we were to compare a needle and a leave under a microscope. The smooth
look of the needle was a horrible sight under this device while the
leave that looked so deformed and “shapeless” had a beautiful pattern
and links. Thus, there is a deception behind trying to find happiness
through what we possess, it look so appealing but its closer look
shows a lot of emptiness. When happiness becomes nothing more than an
acquisition of stuff, morality is cast out of the window and we no
longer care on how we have to be happy as long as we feel happy even
if it is just for a moment or on the expense of someone.
This would mean that the
business executive must cheat in his pricing, falsify his importation
records, evade the payment of government taxes, and bribe the customs
officials, as long as he is happy in making more money, he doesn’t
care of who will suffer of his actions. The housewife that admires
expensive furniture must find ways of enrolling her children in poor
schools just for her to remain happy in her pleasure of furniture
collection. The young girl that wants recognition amongst her peers
must sell her body for money in order to have expensive stuffs, as
long as she is happy in being recognized it doesn’t matter to her on
how she goes about attaining that happiness.
Does the collection of stuff
fill the real need of unhappiness that we feel deep within our souls?
Does the reality of our inward need for recognition and satisfaction
disappear because people begin to notice us by what we have?
Definitely not! The collection of stuff is but a cover up and we are
not facing the real unhappiness within us.
A lifestyle merely defined by
material possessions is self-deception and leads to depression, for
one creates now a problem of how to maintain that lifestyle, daily
getting filled with the fear of losing everything and not knowing how
to face up to the embarrassment. The reality of our unhappiness
and need to be happy does not disappear by being noticed by others.
Material stuffs are not a haven of safety not to mention happiness and
meaning. These are things that are here today and gone by tomorrow
with fire, theft, garage sales upon our death, flood, some through
misplacement, lost of job and business etc.
Materialism is rather a weak
foundation on which to seek and establish happiness and the meaning of
life, for it is but momentary. It is not happiness by virtue but by
achievement, this would define materialism and possessions as
Inadequate Sources Of Happiness. It makes us feel happy without us
being happy i.e. we live with a supposed sensation of happiness, which
is there just temporarily because there is something that keeps it
going.
Such an understanding of
happiness is established on the grounds of narcissistic philosophies
which by interpretation would make it virtuous by personal preference
but not by the law of conscience and moral judgment. There is no
honorability in such establishment of happiness as it is a disguise of
a person’s disillusioned life as they try to achieve satisfaction
through materialism.
Dear friend there is no
amount of stuff collection that will satisfy you. Jesus was well aware
of this when he said: For what shall it profit a man, if he shall
gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?[5]
It is a losing game you are playing for it’s a run after emptiness and
a vexation of your soul.
You don’t have a material
problem, if it were so, all your possessions would have solved your
feeling of meaninglessness and unhappiness. You need a spiritual
solution and that you can only find in Christ Jesus who said,
“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world
giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let
it be afraid.”[6]
Don’t look for the peace,
happiness, and meaning that only God can offer through materialism.
You need more than a chain of possessions for you are more valuable
than that – you need God to fill the blank spaces in your soul.
Chapter Four
Education & Knowledge
The disadvantage is that one’s
knowledge must be constantly compared to the ignorance of somebody.
“Strange how much you've
got to know before you know how little you know.”[7]
I’m a knowledge hunter and I at times feel like an information factory.
Over the years, I’ve done reading in Philosophy, Theology, Politics,
History, World Religions, Psychology, few Mystic books (out of
curiosity) etc. I regularly serve the internet for information, visit
libraries, I read for fun just for the sake of gaining knowledge. It
is true that I know a lot in comparison to many of those in my age
group. I grew up reading books with heavier subjects since primary
school, I’ve read books more than some of the people who are in their
seventies at the moment. I probably became old before my time with
information that’s why some call me “Professor.” So I’ve been in
search of knowledge since a tender age but I never found a degree of
happiness in my search for knowledge and I doubt whether my happiness
lies within the knowledge that I have.
Education interprets one’s
level of intelligence or smartness. It creates opportunities for
better employment and income level. Yes, we can go about boasting on
how much we know and everyone that is less knowledgeable will admire
us for being well-informed in the matters of life. The person that is
the only child with education in the family feels happy for
such prestige. The philosopher that constantly wins public debates
feels happy over such victories.
The disadvantage is that
one’s knowledge must be constantly compared to the ignorance of
somebody. Thus, we become happy not because we ought to but
because we
have great amounts of data in our heads more than somebody else
does. This leaves us in the blind spot of not being able to notice
that there are those that are more knowledgeable than we are. In turn,
our happiness is swept away the moment we are exposed to someone more
knowledgeable than we are.
By such definition, happiness
does not spring from our hearts but simply from our heads. Seeking
happiness through knowledge creates a platform of searching for what
we cannot have – it is a chase after emptiness! We will interpret
happiness by what we know and unhappiness by ignorance. A conclusion
of that kind will throw us into the hands of information seeking for
the rest of our lives just to sense happiness and meaning.
But what happens to our
happiness in the time of retirement when we do not have the strength
of searching for knowledge as when we are young and energetic? Would
this mean the pressing of the suicide button as an exit from the
unhappiness of not knowing? By conclusion, we will reach a debate that
knowledge is emptiness for at the end of the day the philosopher dies
unhappy; the professor commits suicide and some end up in mental
institutions because of depression.
Thus, happiness is not in
knowledge or education, for happiness that is interpreted by the
amount of data we have is not sustainable happiness, for it will go
away during our old age and in case of amnesia. Happiness is born of
the heart not the head, the head make us understand the happiness in
the heart not the other way around. Again, like the rest of the former
foundations knowledge is good but cannot bring us happiness. True
knowledge is that which must be born out of a personal encounter with
God through Jesus Christ. Only knowledge of this kind will produce
meaning and happiness in the knower.
If knowledge was the ultimate
key to happiness self-educated people like myself and many others
would have been the happiest people on earth. Our universities and
colleges would have produced the happiest people and they would have
been the institution with the greatest moralists on earth. As good as
education and knowledge can be it still cannot make us happy or give
us the meaning of life. We need more than great amounts of data, we
are more than just facts and information factories. Our education does
not interpret our purpose for existence and it is a weak foundation on
which to establish our happiness. We need meaning to our life and
satisfaction of the soul. The restlessness of our souls is a cry for
something more profound to the human senses and a search for something
much higher than knowledge. It is a cry to God who is the only one
that can fill the enormous gap of the soul.
Education is good in the
development of our minds but it cannot lead us to the answers the soul
needs. Education can answer arithmetics but our lives are more than
mere mathematical formulas and scientific experiments. Our need is
more than just a search for information it is rather a search for
transformation of heart and a cry for God.
Chapter Five
Money & Fame
No true and permanent fame can be founded except in the labors
which promote the happiness of mankind.[8]
Money is not required to buy one necessity of the soul.[9]
Many individuals today strife
to be amongst the world’s richest and famous people. They define their
existence by their titles, interpret their happiness by their bank
accounts and their meaning is in their achievements. The despair that
comes with the constant demands of daily living drives us to trying
newer and easier means of making a living if not money as the ultimate
goal for relieve from economic insecurities. This is not to say that
money is bad rather it is good for the meeting of our needs and the
creating of comfort for our lives on earth.
A teenage girl came to my
office so I may help her out with her school assignments – she looked
around my office well furnished and spacious. She just could not keep
her excitement next she said, “it must be nice working for your own
money, and you must be quite happy, isn’t?” She continue, “I wanna be
an astronaut so I can make a lot of money, for the more money I have
the happier I will be.” The rest is but a story. Her idea of being
happy was grounded in that one must have a lot of money in order to be
happy in life. Since money answers almost to everything imaginable in
our world, it can get us cars, houses, take us places, get us friends
even if they are just casual pals, and make us gain recognition in the
society etc.
If there be anything that is
searched more than all other things - it’s money. Some believe that
money makes the world go around and – there is some truth in it but
not absolute. It is because of money that husbands spend hours at
business and little time with their families as long as they are
bringing money home. It is because of money that young girls/boys have
sexual relationships with elderly persons. It is because of money that
people wake up every morning to go to their work places and even cause
them to do more than one job. So, in that sense, it really makes the
world go around!
Money is essential in the
meeting of our basic needs such as food, clothing, and shelter etc.
However, to some it is a source by which they define their happiness.
Happiness by their definition is “make a lot of money as long as you
can.” Theirs is a philosophy of living to make money i.e. it is vital
and without it, there can be no definition of happiness or a reason
for living.
There are people that believe
that money cannot be placed in the simple box of “good” it should be
labeled “vital” for without it there can be no life. For them to say
money is good is a deliberate grammatical error of undermining the
importance of money. In their experience, money makes them happy so it
is vital for without it there can’t be any true happiness. By
interpretation, it would be that “the lack of money is the root of all
unhappiness,” so you have money and all your sorrows will be gone. For
this, many people will do almost anything in their power to have money
even: robbery, tax evasions, drugs and human trafficking, steal, kill,
witchcraft, divorce, and marry a rich person etc.
If happiness through money is
defined through the above mentioned things than I don’t desire to have
money. If money has to force us to do what is hurtful to others just
for us to be happy than that kind of happiness will by nature not be
consistent for the motives are dangerous and life threatening.
“Money is an article
which may be used as a universal passport to everywhere except heaven,
and as a universal provider of everything except happiness.”[10]
Whoever made this statement
must have had an understanding of the invaluableness of money when it
comes to the essential things of life. As powerful as money can be it
is only powerful to tangibles but as for matters of the soul, it
affords nothing. It is sure that very few amongst the world’s
wealthiest men and women are happy, they have “all” the money, but
they can’t find happiness. What about our music superstars who many
end up as drug addicts as they try to seek confidence and most of all
happiness? If the happiness that comes with money and fame is that of
buying drugs, divorcing countless times, multiple sex partners,
cheating, and killing than money becomes nothing more than a curse to
the human race.
However, it is necessary to
understand that money and fame cannot give us the happiness we are
looking for.
Monetary-happiness[11]
is an illusion i.e. it is not just temporary happiness it is in
reality non-existent. “It's good to have money and the things money
can buy, but it's good, too, to check up once in a while and make sure
that you haven't lost the things that money can't buy.”[12]
How many people will take such advice to mind? For some have lost
families, friends, peace, good character because of money. So ask
yourself, is money really worth sacrificing all these things?
Happiness that comes through money is what I term excitement
similar to the one a person has when they are intoxicated. After a
time they are faced with the realities of life and the serious and
important things that we cannot meet through money.
Fame and money are not
security measures against sadness and the meaninglessness of life,
they do not bring us to the state of inner well-being. Thus money is
good but not for bringing happiness, it is essential in trading but
not for the matters of the soul. Money is necessary but not vital by
definition i.e. we can live without it, still be happy, and be
satisfied with life. Fame is good but it is a wrong foundation upon
which we are to seek meaning and happiness. Both of these entities are
temporary and are easily lost or replaced and they don’t define us in
the slightest measure. We may be rich and famous but poor and unknown
by God:
“You say 'I am rich and
have grown rich, and I want for nothing,' and you do not know that you
are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, naked! Therefore I counsel you
to buy from me gold which has been refined by fire, that you may grow
rich; and white robes, that you may be clothed and your shameful
nakedness be hidden; and ointment to anoint your eyes, that you may
see.”[13]
God does not regard you by
your money and fame, if your heart is not opened to him you are
wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked sinner destined for eternal
damnation. Friend don’t be deceived by the riches of the world for
they will not buy you a place in God or heaven. Now is the time to
give your heart to him. Riches and fame will all remain here on earth
on the day you will have to face up with God on the Day of Judgment.
Don’t sell your soul to the
little and temporary pleasures that money can buy, search for the
satisfaction and salvation of your soul. Now is that time you have to
make an intelligent decision to be saved!
Chapter Six
Power
We cannot define the meaning of our lives by the amount of power vested in us.
Power comes in different
forms it can be political, economic, social, and religious etc it is a
great thing and many people wish for it. As a child and as a teen, I
desired to have absolute power. For me having power was to
dictate people’s lives, set for them what to do according to what I
wanted, and to make them feel that I am in charge. I wished to
subjugate the rest of humanity under my power. I look so gentle today
but I used to be rough too (I don’t remember how many fights I’ve had
all my school life) fortunately I had both intellectual and physical
power. This kind of thinking was inevitable when I look into the
history of the kinds of books that I read (Marxism, Socialism, Joseph
Stalin, Hitler’s philosophies etc). I always wanted power especially
whenever I read the books on African History and how the White man
oppressed the African – I wanted power over the White man. To the
extend that even in heaven I would have set a criteria by which the
White man were to enter. Such an ideology of power is foolish!
The drive of power is in
every human being and for some it is a way of gaining or finding
happiness. The African president who feels that democracy is too
liberal and wants an autocratic government; the psychologist who wish
to tell his clients what they must do without them asking any
questions; the pastor that want his members to yield to his authority
without questions; the manager that threatens to fire his secretary
unless she have sex with him; the chief executive officer who files
false accusations against a promising senior staff member. All these
are displays of power and for some people they find happiness in being
powerful over the others even if power is abused as long as it
accomplished one’s ends.
Power-happiness[14]
is popular among those who like to see everybody in their environment
subjected to their authority. They enjoy people around them stressed
because of their presence. For them that defines their happiness for
example Caesar Nero[15]
found happiness in the execution of the Christians because of
his power; Hitler found happiness in his mission of
exterminating the Jews through gas chambers and the concentration
camps; Idi Amin of Uganda found happiness in the butchering of
his own people; Tojo Eiki found happiness in his attack on
Pearl Harbor; and Robert Mugabe found happiness in his removal
of White farmers from the farmlands. All these are acts of power
because one can pull some strings and make them dance to your beat but
they don’t necessarily interpret the meaning of life and happiness. By
definition the ideology behind such acts is, “power makes all right.”
What they do must always be interpreted as correct or else one will
upset them for questioning their actions.
Adolph Hitler and Joseph
Stalin had power but I doubt if they were happy or found the meaning
of life. Like with the rest of many dictators they were all paranoid
leaders ruling with iron fists just to secure their own regimes. This
kind of power is exercised on the expense of human dignity just to
achieve selfish ends. History clearly teaches us that many of the most
powerful people have always ended up abusing the power vested in them
by inflicting pain on their subordinates.
The cruelest things have been
performed in the name of power. Jezebel had innocent defenseless
prophets killed because she had power, David had Uriah killed because
of his wife. Many people are seeking political asylums in the world
today because someone in power is after their lives.
Power’s Weakness
When we use power as a source
for attaining happiness, we are not just being illogical but living
under deception. Power is good in that it makes one feel in control
but it does not give one the capacity of being in control of
happiness. Power that is used for oppressing others results into
foolishness rather than positive outcomes. We can be powerful and
still be unhappy or powerless and be very happy. This is not to say
that power causes unhappiness for there are powerful people who are
happy and powerless people who are unhappy. But when we try to define
our happiness and meaning of life by the amount of power we have, we
turn to be miserable human beings.
To have power is not
necessarily to have happiness. It is insanity to rejoice in the
miseries of others and it is pure inhumanness to exert control over
others as though they were not free agents. We cannot be happy by
making others unhappy – it is a wrong way of attaining happiness.
Happiness is obtained in the kindness we show, healthy relationships
we build with others, helping those who are weak etc. I have not heard
of a dictator who has been mentally sane – too much power to man leads
to abuse of that power and to the destruction of fellow man.
Power does not last forever,
so how can we expect to get happiness from it? This would mean that
our happiness exists only as long as we have power, the moment we do
not have it we must plunge into the ocean of sadness and depression.
One cannot say, “I’m happy because I’m powerful,” for that would be
happiness based on a wrong foundation. People come in power and they
are again removed from it – thus it is a temporary position and one
cannot build your life upon it. We cannot define the meaning of our
lives by the amount of power vested in us. Power can be taken away
from us at anytime in different ways, therefore we cannot build our
lives upon it and seek the definition of our existence through it.
Any form of power upon which
we rely to define our happiness and meaning of life will lead us to
frustration at the end of the day. By the time we turn around to
discover that all we have gained in the process are enemies and our
lives are at the verge of extinction and we will not have enough time
to clean up all the mess we’ve caused in the process. Therefore, enjoy
your time of power to help those you can but don’t make it a
foundation upon which you would like to acquire happiness and meaning
of life.
Remember that one day as
powerful as you may be you will appear before the Supreme Omnipotent
God to give account. On that day, your power will be as the strength
of an ant before a giant. Human power will not justify your way to
heaven or you cannot manipulate your way there unless you have
surrendered to the saving power of God through Jesus Christ in this
world. A storm is coming against which you will not be able to stand
by solely relying on your human strength. The only security you can
have from God’s judgment is when you repent from your sinful ways and
allow him to the Lord of your life.
On that day kings,
presidents, masters, slaves, servant, civilians, rich, and poor will
kneel alike before the throne of God. There will be not exemption i.e.
there will be no distinction between dignitaries and ordinary
citizens. The judgment of the Almighty will not be partial it will be
against all. Now is the time for you to invite this Omnipotent God and
surrender your power to him.
Chapter Seven
Wherein Is Our Happiness?
“There is nothing in the
universe that can replace our holes of need for happiness and meaning
except God.”
All men seek happiness. This
is without exception. Whatever different means they employ, they all
tend to this end. The cause of some going to war, and of others
avoiding it, is the same desire in both, attended with different
views. They will never take the least step but to this object. This is
the motive of every action of every man, even of those who hang
themselves. And yet after such a great number of years, no one without
faith has reached the point to which all continually look. All
complain, princes and subjects, noblemen and commoners, old and young,
strong and weak, learned and ignorant, healthy and sick, of all
countries, all times, all ages, and all conditions.[16]
I’ve always wondered whether
we do have any happiness of our own that is consistent at all times
and at all places. Is it not a sign that man in himself does not have
what it takes to be happy and define the meaning of life? If he had
what it takes to be happy he needed not to use the camouflages of
money, power, pleasure, knowledge, materialism, and religion. These
things in my opinion indicate that the happiness of a man’s soul does
not lie in himself i.e. man cannot cause himself to be happy.
Happiness that comes from these sources cannot be relied upon in
building a sustainable happy and meaningful life. In other words, the
source of human happiness must come from somewhere outside the human
sphere. Without taking you through a mental cruise of wondering what I
want to say let us reach to the morale of this writing.
We do not determine our own
happiness we acquire the happiness but it must be acquired from a
Source
outside the human sphere of reasoning. So since the human system of
becoming happy is not coherent we must import our standards for
attaining happiness and meaning by using rules and principles that are
outside of us but hidden in the Person of God.
My view is that our happiness
must be based in a person rather than in something. There can be no
true happiness outside of God, the only happiness we will have would
be
“secondary-happiness.”[17]
For the Bible has an answer on how we can be happy, God spoke out of
heaven and he gave instruction that if it is heeded it will take many
out of their cycles of unhappiness. He said: This is my Son, my
chosen one; listen to him.[18]
This Son of God gave instructions on how we could be happy without
trying to find happiness and meaning and in things in all wrong
places. And I believe that the desire to be happy which our generation
seeks in things is hidden in the words this man spoke some 2000 years
ago:
-
“Blessed are the poor in
spirit, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs.
-
Blessed are those who
mourn, for they shall be comforted.
-
Blessed are the gentle, for
they shall inherit the earth.
-
Blessed are those who
hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be completely
satisfied.
-
Blessed are the merciful,
for they shall obtain mercy.
-
Blessed are the pure in
heart, for they shall see God.
-
Blessed are the
peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those
who have been persecuted in the cause of righteousness, for theirs
is the kingdom of heaven.”[19]
In the rest of the remainder
of Matthew Chapter Five Jesus continues to give solutions or advice
that if these things are practiced man will experience happiness.
Secular Humanism has taught us that we are self-sufficient, good by
nature, that we do not need God, and if there is any God than we are
the God that we are seeking. The reality confronts the humanist, as he
cannot sustain his own life as aging is catching up with him and
everyday of his life is walking him closer to the grave. He becomes
depressed that he has no control of his aging body and approaching
death.
The atheist is faced
with the reality of the inadequacy of the philosophical system he is
trying to present when he can no longer reason beyond the
supernatural. He is frustrated that his answers are moving in circular
propositions and there is no progress to his ever changing but never
growing theory. The atheist stands in the position like that of
someone denying their own sanity in the court of law just for him to
be acquitted of his crimes.
Still at the end of the day,
the truth remains that we cannot hide from the need of God in our
lives. For there is no other true source of happiness besides him.
Man’s own solution is to find happiness in something, but the divine
plan it that man would find his happiness in Someone. We are not in
need of a material solution we need a spiritual solution to our
dilemma of unhappiness and dissatisfaction of heart and soul. There is
nothing in the universe that can replace our holes of need for
happiness and meaning except God.
“But God gives proof of
his love to us by the fact that while we were still sinners, Christ
died for us.”[20]
The happiness that man is
looking for in things is secured in the finished work of God’s Son on
the cross of Calvary. In him dwells the fullness of God’s purpose and
the solution to human unhappiness and he gives the invitation saying:
Come unto me, all who
labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon
you and learn of me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will
find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is
light.[21]
The rest of our souls is what
we need not the indulgence of our flesh. Here is a free offer to
attaining happiness and meaning of which no one or nothing can take
away from us. It is only with Jesus that a yoke is said to be easy and
burdens light i.e. with the taking of Jesus we are not carrying
burdens but happiness that is eternally guaranteed. Our true happiness
is in having discovered the eternal happiness, which God offers
through Jesus Christ. In this life, our happiness in Christ is the
reflection of the eternal happiness. This happiness lies in the saving
power of God through Jesus Christ, without the forgiveness of sin,
happiness cannot be achieved in this life or in the life to come:
“Happy is he who has
forgiveness for his wrongdoing, and whose sin is covered.”[22]
We all need the forgiveness
that God offers through faith in Christ Jesus. He does not need the
appeasing through sacrifices of animals etc, he wants the sincere
repentance of our hearts. We must turn to God not because we want to
be happy, we need to do so because he is our destiny and by his plan,
we ought
to be happy. As Blaise Pascal stated that:
“What is it then that this
desire and this inability proclaim to us, but that there was once in
man a true happiness of which there now remain to him only the mark
and empty trace, which he in vain tries to fill from all his
surroundings, seeking from things absent the help he does not obtain
in things present? But these are all inadequate, because the infinite
abyss can only be filled by an infinite and immutable object, that is
to say, only by God Himself.”
Thus the happiness we are
seeking through sex, alcoholism, money, religion, fame, education,
materialism, pleasure, drugs, gambling etc can only be truly found
when we come in true union with our Maker. “Man's ultimate happiness
lies not in this life.”[23]
We need ultimate happiness not temporary excitement which is here and
gone by tomorrow. In God, we discover a glimpse of that eternal
happiness through our confession of sin and accepting his Son Jesus
Christ as Lord and Savior of our lives.
There is no source whatsoever
that will grant man the happiness and meaning he is searching for in
this world. None of our sciences (sociology, anthropology, psychology,
philosophy, medicine) can offer comprehensive permanent solutions to
this search for happiness and meaning. No degree of clever language
can find a definition enough to satisfy our search for meaning and
reason for living.
There is no ark that will
rescue humanity from life’s gloom, inadequacy, and meaninglessness
except that which God has already provided. The invitation to you my
readers is that you will find Jesus Christ today and run to him for
salvation from the present distresses that life presents – he is the
only sure guarantee against meaninglessness.
Conclusion
“Now is our chance to choose
the right side. God is holding back to give us that chance. It won’t
last forever. We must take it or leave it.” C. S. Lewis
All of the activities I’ve
mentioned in this book appear to be weak foundations. They are full of
shortcomings and loopholes and cannot be set as foundations upon which
we can or could build happy and meaningful lives. They barely can
sustain us even for a while thus:
-
Religion is based on
human efforts to seek and define God
-
Pleasure is
circumstantial i.e. it’s here today and gone tomorrow,
-
Knowledge and education
is a flop our universities have not been able to become morally the
most upright institutions after all the vast amounts of information
giving.
-
Power serves as a cover
up for our own weaknesses – we make decisions for situations but we
still recline to despair and meaninglessness
-
Money answers to many
things but cannot answer our quest for meaning or purpose e.g. who
am I, why am I here and what is after this life.
They are all weak foundations
to define our lives and cannot give us the happiness we need.
Satisfaction can only be found in Jesus Christ. You may protest that
“it’s religion!” No, in Christianity God comes down to men and women
to save them, in religion men and women invent ways they think will
win them God’s salvation. I answered the teenage girl that came to my
office that afternoon that “only God can make you happy,” she looked
at me so surprised that I mentioned God. I could see by her expression
that she had no clue of what I was talking about – still with many
questions. I couldn’t talk long to her since we were already done with
the assignment and I had to complete my monthly reports.
Only God can give you the
happiness and meaning you are seeking! It is either to take God’s
offer or plunge into the ocean of meaninglessness and apparent
happiness. It is either you take God’s solution to the emptiness
of your soul or live to face him on the Judgment Day. Salvation time
is now friend – Jesus Christ said:
“See, I am waiting at
the door and giving the sign; if my voice comes to any man's ears and
he makes the door open, I will come in to him, and will take food with
him and he with me.”[24]
It’s a matter of eternity
my friend that I’m talking about. Whether you believe it or not the
now will soon be gone and you will open your eyes right in front of
God to give account of your life – what will be your answer? Your
debates and philosophy will be of no use at that moment, as the proof
of God’s will be right in front of your own eyes.
Endnotes
[1] A person who adheres
to a system of philosophy that emphasizes the intuitive and spiritual
above the experimental and corporeal.
[2] John 15: 16 NKJV; 6: 44 KJV
[3] George Owen
[4] Devotion to
elaborated sensuous pleasure especially of good food and drink
[5] Mark 8: 36 KJV
[6] John 14: 26
[7] Anonymous
[8] Charles Sumner
[9] Thoreau
[10] Unknown
[11] Supposed happiness
by the amount of money an individual has.
[12] Lorimer
[13] Revelation 3: 17, 18
[14] Supposed happiness
as a result of wielding power over others.
[15] Roman Emperor
notorious for his monstrous vice and fantastic luxury (started a fire
that destroyed much of Rome in 64) but the Empire remained prosperous
during his rule (37-68).
[16] Blaise Pascal in
Pensees (Thoughts) 1660, (Book: Section VII, Part I: Morality and
Doctrine)
[17] Afterthought
happiness not the initially designed.
[18] Luke 9: 35 Montgomery’s New Testament
[19] Jesus Christ, the
Savior and Son of God born in Bethlehem…his life and sermons form the
basis for Christianity (circa 4 BC - AD 29)
[20] Paul a Christian
missionary to the Gentiles; writer of many Letters in the New
Testament, Romans 5: 8
[21] Jesus Christ, Matthew 11: 28-30
[22] David, the 2nd
king of the Israelites; as a young shepherd he fought and killed
Goliath; he united Israel with Jerusalem as its capital; many of the
Psalms are attributed to David (circa 1000-962 BC).
[23] Tomas Aquinas,
Roman Catholic Church Italian theologian and Doctor of the Church who
is remembered for his attempt to reconcile faith and reason in a
comprehensive theology; presented philosophical proofs of the existence of God (1225-1274).
[24] Revelation 3: 20 Bible in Basic English