The difference between FUN and Happiness.

As a mom and a human lately I’ve been thinking a lot about the distinct difference between being happy and having fun. 

We are a fun-chasing culture. We chase the next thrill, the next vacation. We are FUN junkies. I want my kids to know the difference between respecting God’s plan for us, having appreciation of their surroundings, and recognizing gratitude for their blessings and the recreation that they get to participate in. 

Last week was Spring Break. Honestly, we stayed home because we couldn’t think of another place we would rather be. We live in a place that we love, and Spring is our favorite time of year here in Southern Utah. We don’t need to travel to catch the sunshine. We live in a place with beautiful surroundings, plenty of sun rays, and natural phenomenons. I’m definitely not saying that if a family went “out of town” that that is a bad thing either, I’m just saying that for us, staying here was great. And sometimes, staying home and resting is more of a vacation than vacation can be. {Don’t tell my husband I said that, I feel like that could come back to bite me in the future.}

But, my kids saw that many of their friends were at the beach, and vacationing. They complained a few times about staying home during spring break, and I was very frustrated as a parent. We can choose to be happy with our lives, or we can choose to want what someone else has. Dwelling on what we do not do or what we do not have will quickly suck every speck of happiness out of life. And, believe me, our Spring Break was not boring, we had a lot of fun together. 

I think it’s important to realize and to teach our kids that our choices are where true happiness comes from, and THAT choice may even mean the opposite of “fun” in some cases. 

Let me explain further with a simple example.  As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Sundays are a day that we treat completely differently than the rest of the week.  We stay home from errand running and truly take a rest. We attend church for three hours. For some, this would be opposite definition of “fun,” and would say that Sundays are Fundays, and they are to be spent shopping, boating…etc. But, we believe that giving one day of our week to God, and keeping the sabbath day holy is one of the things that brings true happiness.

For a family like us who loves boating, spending Sundays at the lake would seem like a FUN family activity, right!?! Well, that’s where Faith comes in. We believe that by giving God our sabbath day, our family will be blessed in more ways than spending that day on the lake together. 

As a Mom of these four beautiful kids, I want them to know that God sent us to Earth for a reason, and that reason isn’t just to have fun.  

I believe to be truly happy, we need to do what our Heavenly Father asks of us. He wants us to be happy! He wants to bring us joy beyond measure! He wants us to obey and keep His commandments. He knows what’s good for us and He loves us so much that he wants us to live with him again. 

I believe that loving, caring parents set strict rules for their children to keep them safe. Similarly, our loving Father in Heaven does the same thing for us. He wants us to seek him, to keep his commandments, and to walk in Faith. He sets these “rules” because he knows they will bring us the most joy and happiness. He is trying to protect us from heartache. He also wants to guide us in our daily lives if we allow Him to help us make choices.  

How do we find out what He wants us to do? 

Well, He speaks to me through the influence of the Holy Ghost. I feel Him helping me make decisions and helping me along my path. I don’t hear His voice, but I feel His presence influencing me in my life. 

Deiter F. Uchtdorf said, “There are more ways to see than with our eyes, more ways to feel than with our hands, more ways to hear than with our ears.” I believe this 100%. 

I received the gift of the Holy Ghost when I was 8 years old when I was baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. But in order for me to be worthy of this companionship, I need to keep the commandments and make sure that I’m keeping my priorities straight so that I can feel His still, small voice. 

As members of the church, those that don’t know us may think we are peculiar. We don’t have pre-marital sex. We don’t drink alcohol or smoke tobacco. But we do this because we are trying to stay close enough to our Savior so that we can feel Him and His guidance. Someone might argue that we have “no fun” because we don’t do these things, but if you’ve ever been around me, you know I have plenty of fun. 

But, I also try to respect my Father in Heaven and realize that He knows that everything isn’t good on Earth. We can’t do “whatever we want” and make it back to live with God again. He knows that if I do certain things, that it will bring heartache. So he’s trying to protect me. The Holy Ghost warns us of danger and can help us make decisions. If we aren’t living in a way that is pleasing to God, the Holy Ghost cannot be with us, and his guidance will stop. 

Sometimes when I see happiness faltering around me, I notice that people start to increase their effort in “FUN” thinking that it will be just the medicine they need to get back their happiness. Unfortunately, that’s not where real authentic happiness lies. 

In the proclamation to the family is says, “Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities.”

Having fun is part of it, but only a part of where true happiness comes from. 

I know this to be true in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.