ROOTED: Psalm 1

Weekly Messages

We celebrate our nation's independence and the Declaration of Independence, which highlights Americans' inalienable rights to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."

For much of my life, I didn't give much thought to what "the pursuit of happiness" really means. If you asked people, most would probably say it means Americans have the freedom to do whatever they want. Just look around, and you'll see that in action.

However, the Declaration of Independence doesn't endorse Hedonism—the pursuit of pleasure above all else. Our founding fathers envisioned something different: the right to pursue activities that promote physical, mental, and moral well-being. They aimed for real human flourishing, and for that, I am grateful.

I believe God has provided a way for us to pursue well-being and flourishing together. Unfortunately, I think we're often going about it the wrong way in America today. True happiness is actually easier to obtain than we might think.