kingdom. His kingdom shared a border with another kingdom ruled by a king named Ivan. Ivan was an evil king who desired to expand His kingdom by force. For years, the two kings fought in bloody skirmishes along the border, and king Anthony always prevailed, for his kingdom was much larger and his army much greater. King Ivan, realizing he could never win a head to head battle, devised a plan to even the odds. It would take a long time to accomplish, but if it worked, if king Anthony fell for it, he could attack and overtake his rival kingdom. King Ivan sent word to Anthony declaring his desire for a truce. He invited him to a mutual location and told him that he had decided to stop all advances against his kingdom. He told the good king that he wanted to live in peace and to share a friendship between the two kingdoms. The two kings shook hands and parted ways. A week later, King Anthony sent an invitation to Ivan inviting him to a feast; a celebration of peace and their new friendship. King Ivan came bearing gifts and smiles. He adorned king Anthony with compliments about the castle, the servants, and the food. “This food is the best I’ve ever tasted!” said the evil king. King Anthony enjoyed the praise. He began to see himself and the pleasures he had surrounding him as a sign of his worth. King Ivan, recognizing his chance said, “You’re only missing one thing. The world’s most unique and wonderful tasting tea. It’s called Engano tea. It is so rare that only a handful of the greatest kings have ever tasted it. If you could serve Engano tea at your banquets, everyone who attended would know that you are the greatest of all kings.” King Anthony was intrigued, and for weeks he couldn’t stop thinking about Engano tea. He thought about how wonderful it must taste. He thought about the prestige it would bring him if he could have it served to his guests.
So King Anthony commissioned explorers, sailors, and treasure hunters to bring him back this tea. One by one, they would leave excited but return defeated and without the tea. This only made King Anthony desire it even more. So, after many failed expeditions, the king decided to send his army across the world to find the tea and bring it to him at any cost. After years of failed military missions, bloody battles and lost lives, the king still had not tasted the world’s greatest tea. By now he had become obsessed with it. He would do anything to get his hands on that special tea. One day, a traveler came before the king and said, “Your Majesty, I have traveled all across the world and in my travels I was fortunate enough to come across a small amount of Engano tea. I want you to have it.” The king was overwhelmed with excitement. He immediately called for his servants to prepare him some of this world famous tea. The water was heated, the tea was carefully steeped and brought to the king. He took one sip and gasped. It tasted awful. The king hated the tea, and he hated himself. How could he have spent years of his life, vast sums of money, and the lives of explorers and soldiers pursuing something so awful? Suddenly, a messenger came rushing into the court. King Ivan’s army was advancing on the kingdom. They were vast in number, organized, and armed with the best weapons. King Anthony realized that he had been deceived. There was no truce, there was no friendship, and there was no Engano tea. While he had been chasing an illusion, King Ivan had been preparing for war. He looked around and the traveler was gone. His heart raced with fear. His stomach was now convulsing in pain, he began to sweat profusely, and he fell to the ground. The traveler was really a spy, sent to poison him. As King Anothony lay dying on the floor, he realized that his selfish and vain pursuit of Engano tea had drained his kingdom of resources, ravaged his army, and exposed him to a cup of poison. He had spent his life pursuing an illusion, and when he finally found it, it had killed him and destroyed the Kingdom he was born to protect.
Are you pursuing a lie? Are you pursuing an illusion? Most people spend their lives pursuing happiness. We are told from childhood that our lives belong to us, and that we deserve to be happy. We are taught to choose a career that makes us happy, choose a spouse that makes us happy, choose hobbies that make us happy. All of our life decisions are designed to make us happy. But a happy life is an illusion. Life is full of ups and downs. Everyone experiences times when we feel happy and times when we do not. To be happy all the time means that our circumstances must always be perfect, our emotions must always be perfect, our thinking must always be perfect, and our health must always be perfect, but life is not perfect. Happiness is like Engano tea: it’s an illusion designed to distract you from something much deeper - something much better. King Anthony wasted his time, his treasure, and the lives of his citizens pursuing something he thought would make him happy. The only thing worse than chasing something is when you finally get it and it does not satisfy you. You feel empty and ashamed because you wasted so much of your life pursuing an illusion.
“For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.” -Luke 9:24
God has given us a better reason to live. God has given us purpose. Purpose is much deeper than happiness and it doesn’t depend on perfect circumstances, emotions, thinking, or health. In fact, having purpose gives your life bedrock consistency; consistency that cannot be found in the roller coaster ride of happiness. If I have money or if I am broke, my purpose does not change. If I feel good or if I feel bad, my purpose doesn’t change. If I am happy or if I am miserable, my purpose does not change. Living with purpose gives you a straight path to follow that actually leads to a real destination. Purpose is steady and real. Purpose is not an illusion but a worthwhile pursuit that brings real results. Jesus did not come to earth to experience happiness. He came for a purpose, and He produced results.
“For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” - Mark 10:45
Jesus came to die in our place that we might have eternal life. His purpose brought Him great pain and suffering, but it also brought eternal life to countless people and changed the course of history. His happiness was irrelevant. Happiness is irrelevant to those who live with a purpose. Yes, I enjoy the happy times, but I don’t chase happiness. I try to live out the purpose God has given me, so that one day I can hear Him say, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.”
What is your purpose? Why did God create you and place you in this generation? There are specifics about your life that you must pursue the answers to, but all of God's children have been called to these two purposes: Love God and Love your neighbor as yourself. You and I have been called to love God with our lives and to demonstrate His love for others. You were created to be an expression of the love of God. You have the power to change lives with love. When you realize the power you possess, it becomes frivolous to waste your life selfishly pursuing the fickle feelings of happiness. And what is the final reward for a life lived with God’s purpose? Souls. Your life is the seed planted, and the harvest of your life is the souls of those who will come to know Jesus. Now, that’s a reason to live. Make the decision to pursue God’s purpose for your life and endeavor to live out His purpose. Enjoy the happy times but don’t waste your life pursuing happiness. God has created you for something much greater. God has created you for purpose.
By: Mylon Avery
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