Righteousness First

5/13/14        Carlos, Vince       28, about 40

“You don’t need happiness, you need righteousness”.  That’s the message I was trying to get across to two men, in back-to-back conversations at the park. The first, Carlos, said that he believes in God but prays “only when I’m in trouble or need something.”  I asked how he would feel if he had a friend that would only talk to him when he needs something.  “He wouldn’t really be a friend” Carlos said, seeing my point.  He had a sort of a relationship with God, but it wasn’t a right relationship.  God is not a Santa Claus, and doesn’t intend to be one.  The second man, Vince, was critical of church attenders he knew who acted the part while in church and are financially prosperous, “So…” he reasoned, “…God must be blessing them.”  Yet he felt no attraction to join them at church because he knew what they were like the rest of the week, he knew they were hypocrites and wanted nothing to do with their form of religion.  Vince sensed that there must be something more to Christianity than being happy, financially or otherwise, and he was right.  Too many and too often churches try to attract people to God with promises of easy and pain-free happiness, promises the Bible doesn’t make.  What it does say is that we can have righteousness – a right relationship with God – and that happiness can naturally occur as a result.  “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”  (Matt 6)