‘Having it All’ = Having Jesus

This month opened with every newspaper in India headlining the suicide of television actress/model Kuljeet Randhawa.

Kuljeet was on her way to making it “big” in Indian television with lead roles in several serials. She was beautiful. She had money, fame & popularity. At the tender age of 30, Kuljeet had already achieved quite a bit of what the world terms “success”.

When ex-Miss India/model/actress Nafisa Joseph committed suicide in the same manner two years ago, people asked the same question they’re asking now -

“Why would she, who had it all, do this?”

Media and society - indeed, the world in general - teaches us that beauty, wealth, fame & popularity are to be sought after - ‘If we gain these, then we will be happy’

The Bible offers us very different answers on how to be happy.

For starters, it doesn’t condemn all the things of the world. These things (like money, beauty, fame etc) can be enjoyed by man and in fact will be given to man by God if we seek first His kingdom.

The problem is that we buy into the lies of the world that we can achieve happiness without God, if we have these things. The truth is that without God, we will never be happy.

The Bible tells us in John 15 that apart from Jesus we can do nothing, we have nothing.

It is only in knowing the one true trinitarian God - Father, Son & Spirit -that we will truly be happy.

Knowing God will enable us to use the things the world has to offer rightly and hence derive happiness from them.

For example; for those with God, money can be used for the welfare of others besides self & the result is true happiness. For those without God, no amount of money satisfies, the result is a greed for ‘more’.

I wish to say at this point, that no one can or should judge Kuljeet or Nafisa - judging them would be a sin.

I only use their premature deaths as an example to drive home the fact that there is more to happiness than what the world tells us.

There is a hymn which states:

I could wish you joy and peace.
To last a whole life long.
I could wish you sunshine.
Or a cheerful little song
Or wish you all the happiness.
That this life could bring.
But I wish You Jesus, more than anything.
I could wish you leaves of gold.
And may your path be smooth.
I could wish you treasures.
Or that all your dreams come true.
And I could wish you paradise.
That every day be spring.
But I wish You Jesus, more than anything.
‘Cause when I wish you Jesus,
I’ve wished you everything.

My wish and prayer for everyone who reads this, as well as everyone who seeks happiness is:

“May you have Jesus, because apart from Him we have nothing and in Him alone you will have everything”. Amen.

Be happy and be blessed in Jesus.