Remembering what to take true joy in

Summer is almost to an end, and I'm really ready to get back to Rice. I even bought my first car yesterday with a little over 1/3 of my total income for this summer. I realized that God has blessed my life with a lot lately. I have a great job that I've learned a lot from this summer and made a lot of money from at the same time. I have amazing friends that I am still in contact with even though I've been gone for two years, including Kameron, James, Franklin, Ashley, Sabonis, Geoff, and Andy from my high school and Matt I, Matt M, Patrick, Ciera, Charlie, Geoff, Christa, and Eddie from youth group that I've been able to spend a pretty good amount of time with this summer, plus many others that I'm leaving out. I have an incredible girlfriend who constantly makes me feel loved and who I can talk to about anything with. I now have a car that is completely mine, and was able to pay for the car, insurance, and gas on my own. And my future is brighter than it ever has been. Aside from national fame (which I will gladly do without, thanks), I've got just about everything that popular culture says you need in order to be happy.

And don't get me wrong, I'm really happy with life right now. But there is a great danger in deriving all of my joy from worldly pleasures. The Bible offers incredible bits of wisdom when it commands us (and I'm summarizing because I'm terrible with memorizing scripture) to not strive after earthly pleasures, but to take joy in serving The Lord. I could lose any of those earthly things that are making me so happy at any moment. I could lose contact with many of my friends. My car could get in a wreck or be stolen. My job is almost over and my money will be gone before I know it, and I may not even get to work here again next summer. Robyn and I could break up. All of these things could happen, and many of them probably will at some point in my life. I think it is important for me to realize now, while times are good, that while they bring joy now and will no doubt bring sadness when I lose them, God will stay with me forever. But there's nothing that can ever keep me from serving Him, and from my experience, that brings much more happiness and satisfaction than any of my earthly possessions ever can.

And I should also take more time to thank God for blessing me as he has. Because all of these things, even those which I often think come from my own hard work and smart choices, come from Him. Which is even more reason to follow his word and serve him in everything I do.