It is no secret that there is a virus that is currently affecting the world. We have been in a pandemic for several months with no end in sight except we get a miracle from the Lord. There is another sickness among us that people need to watch out for and this sickness is very dangerous. This sickness many may wonder if they have it or will they catch it. This sickness is called Destination Disease. Destination Disease can destroy even a great church like the Miami Seventh Day Baptist church. If it starts spreading, it can cause pandemonium to break out. You may ask what is Destination Disease? Well Destination Disease is worse than a cold, it’s far worse than the Flu and it makes systemic virus seem like a walk in the park. Destination Disease is a disease that says I cannot be happy and full of joy right now because my current situation right now does not allow me to be happy. My current situation does not allow me to be happy or joyful.
Destination Disease says I can only be happy when I get a new job. Destination Disease says I will only be happy when I get a new car. Destination Disease says I will only be happy when I get a new husband. I will only be happy when my wife submits to me. I will only be happy when I make $10,000 more per year. Destination Disease says I will only be happy when I move out on my own. I will only be happy when get married. I will only be happy when I get divorced. I will only be happy when I move to a different city or get a new church. I will only be happy when I get a better church, better congregation and better pastor. I will only be happy when I go on vacation or when I win the lottery or when I pay off all my bills. Destination Disease says I will only be happy when this pandemic is over. Destination Disease says I will only be happy when I lose weight or when I gain weight. In short, Destination Disease says I cannot be happy right now and I cannot be joyful right now. Something has to change or happen for me to be happy. Destination Disease is a serious matter because in the same way you don’t feel like yourself when you are physically sick, you don’t act like yourself when you have Destination Disease.
**Three Observations about Destination Disease:
1) Our Outlook goes up or down depending on our Emotional state:
It is not the reality of bad things happening in our lives but it’s the perception of it. The stress and worry about bad things affect our emotional state. Even the weather can affect our emotional state.
2) We often forget that this Life down here is Temporary and Heaven is Eternal:
In Romans 8:18 Apostle Paul said even our present suffering is not worthy to be compared to the glory that will be revealed in us. This life right now is temporary. What you are going thru right now is temporary. The situation that is causing you to be unhappy and have no joy is temporary. What you are going thru right now is temporary and God’s Kingdom is Eternal.
3) Uncertainty increases our Insecurity:
When we don’t know what is going to happen next, we have a tendency to worry. When we worry we have a tendency to get uptight. When we get uptight we get unhappy and lose our joy. So the key is to understand that God IS in Control and NOT us. This puts us back into the situation that we have to Trust God and have Faith in Him for the future.
**Three Cures for Destination Disease:
1) Understand that Happiness and having Joy is a CHOICE.
Don’t cringe when I say this. We have been so conditioned to believe that happiness is a state of being and is out of our control. We need to know that happiness is a choice and is not based on outside factors that happen to us. The truth is that happiness or joy is what happens inside of us and that in turn affects the outside things like our attitudes; like our emotions, like our being in a rage or being calm. We, all of us, myself included, need to understand that happiness and joy is not an emotion, but it’s a decision. I decided some time ago that no one is going to make me unhappy. Not my parents, not my dear wife, not my children, not my employer, not my church and not the President of the United States. I simply will NOT give any human being that kind of power over me!!
Now someone may say that sounds like a bunch of self-help or hocus pocus stuff. But, no it is a very biblical principle and it is in Phil 4:4 and verse 8. In verse 4 Paul says to rejoice in the Lord always and again I say rejoice. In verse 8, Paul says whatever is true, honest, just, pure, lovely and whatever things are of a good report; think on these things. Spend your time reflecting on these things. It sounds like Paul is saying happiness and joy is a choice. Rejoice in the Lord always. Happiness is not an emotion but it is a decision and a choice. The Apostle Paul could have said he had way too many problems to still be happy. He was beaten, shipwrecked, had been on the run and sometimes had no food or clothes. Paul had lots of reasons to be unhappy after he became a Christian. Yet Paul says happiness is a choice and not an emotion or a destination. Happiness is a choice. What kind of Christian are you, I ask you today. Some say Christians are like wheelbarrows. They are no good unless they are pushed. Some say Christians are like kites and if you don’t keep a string on them, they will fly away. Some Christians are like kittens who are more contented when they are petted. Some are like a football and you cannot tell where they will bounce next. Some are like balloons, full of hot air and ready to blow up. Some are like neon lights, they keep going on and off. The Apostle Paul said he had learned to be content, to be happy and to be full of joy no matter what his situations were.
2) Being Unhappy Won’t Change Anything:
When things get difficult, we can become unhappy but being unhappy does not help the situation. Instead being unhappy hurts the situation. Example-suppose I’m unhappy with my job. I take my unhappiness to work and it starts to affect my job performance. My job performance goes down, I’m critical of my boss, of my co-workers and our customers. I don’t want to show up for work anymore. Apply this example to your life at school, at church and see how being unhappy makes things worse. Choose to be happy and choose to have joy. When we are tempted to be unhappy, choose to rejoice in the Lord always. The Lord is the only thing that’s lasts forever.
3) Learn to Live One Day at a Time:
We control how we live. Remember the three “C” words. Choice: we choose our attitude, our responses and our decisions. Change: we really don’t change anything when we choose to be unhappy. Control: there are things in our control. The psalmist said “this is the day that the Lord hast made. I will rejoice and be glad in it.” He is saying this is the day that God has given to me and my choice is to rejoice in it! I don’t care whether it is raining or sunny or snowing or a hurricane. I will rejoice in this day. Notice he didn’t day tomorrow or next week I will be happy. He said this is the day, today is the day God wants me to be happy. If we are going to wait for an event to make us happy, we will spend our whole life on waiting because something will always NOT be right in our life. Every day we must make the decision to make the most of our situation and to be happy and rejoice in the Lord.
We need to trust God that He will change our circumstances at the right time and at the right moment. We need to believe this and to appreciate each and every day. We need to choose to be happy and not be sick with Destination Disease. God wants us to know that we can rejoice every day because there are three things that no person or problem can take away from us.
1. No one can take away the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
2. No one can take away our close relationship with Jesus Christ
3. No one can take away the Hope of our Eternity that will be spent with Him.
What kind of Faith do you have? How do we get over the Destination Disease? By applying the Word of God. Nothing that happens in this life can take away our relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ. Receive the Lord, be in Christ Jesus and let His joy fill your heart.
