C.S. Lewis once said that we have three alternatives in life: we can be God, we can be like God, or we can be miserable. As brilliant as Lewis was, it is obvious that in reality we have only two alternatives. We can choose to be like God or we can be miserable. The option to be God, as I know Lewis was fully aware, is not a real option. We know anyone claiming to be God is either a liar or a lunatic. Only one man in all of History could make this claim and have it be true. So unless you can raise yourself from the dead, you are left with the alternatives of living a life that imitates God as best you can, or living a life of misery.
It seems like such an obvious choice, doesn’t it? Who in their right mind would choose to be miserable? Anyone who has ever spent even a single moment wrapped in the presence of God knows there is no other feeling that can compare. The love of God is at once terrifying and overwhelming, but it is also warm and peaceful beyond words. No earthly pleasure even comes close to the endorphin rush of communing with our Creator. This intimacy is only found by running towards God. As we endeavor to live lives that look like Jesus, we will run smack dab into the God who is continually pursuing us. That collision is worth more than anything you could ever acquire or experience on earth.
Still, so many choose misery over bliss. Even those of us who have dedicated our lives to seeking God are not immune to falling prey to this horrible deceit. We choose temporal pleasure over eternal joy. We hoard possessions that decay over rewards that last forever. In the end, all of these things lead to misery. No earthly pleasure exists that does not leave us with a feeling of emptiness when it has passed. No possession satisfies so much that we will never crave another. The reality is that nothing can ever satiate our souls except that for which we were created. We were designed for communion and worship; all else leads to misery.
As we go through life, we must continually choose to live a life that looks like God, or one that is mired in misery. Our entire reason for being is to glorify God, to live as children in awe of Him. He is our Creator, our Father, and our sustainer. There is no life apart from Him. Don’t be fooled by the cheap imitations of happiness this world will put in your path. Any endeavor that does not lead to Jesus can only lead to misery. Which alternative will you choose? You are not God, so you must decide to either live a life that looks like Jesus, or one of ultimate despair. God has granted you this choice. Upon which road will you travel?