Making Jesus Happy

by David Lins  |  09/05/2021  |  (Being) Catholic Matters

This morning, I woke up particularly grumpy. It isn’t something that happens often, but when it does... well... it is written all over my face. My typical “too-big-for-my-face” smile is absent and replaced by an angry German disposition.

As I drove my toddler to preschool, out of nowhere, my little empath asked, “Daddy? Why you sad?”

“I’m okay, little nugget.” So, she started to sing.

After the song, “You happy now, dad?” That is when I realized I needed to pull over then and there.

I turned around and looked her in the eyes, managed a smile, and said, “Georgiana. It is not your job to make daddy happy. It’s your job to make Jesus happy by choosing to follow Him by making good choices.”

“Okay daddy. But I want you to be happy.”
“Everyone has hard days, but I promise to ask God to help

me.”
I share this because this simple lesson applies to all of us.

It is not our job to make our parents happy. It isn’t our job to make our spouses, children, grandchildren, coworkers, neighbors, or total strangers happy. Sure. It’s good to spread the joy of the Lord. But making people happy? Nope.

We must endeavor to please the Lord in prayer, word, and deed. In our struggle to avoid sin and our humility in confessing it. In our pursuit of the sacramental life and our efforts to draw others into it.

And we must ask the Lord to help us in the midst of all of it. After all, He wants to fly to our needs.

As this weekend’s Psalm (146) says, He secures justice for the oppressed, gives food to the hungry, gives sight to the blind, raises up those bowed down, loves the just, protects the stranger, and sustains the fatherless and widow. Let Him sustain you... even when you are feeling a bit grumpy.

Questions? Comments? Reach David at dlins@oloj.org

BACK TO LIST BACK