A false dichotomy involves
a situation where only two options–often extremes–seem available when,
in fact,
at least one other option exists. Sometimes false dichotomies are used as a
tactic to win an argument. And sometimes we adopt false dichotomies accidentally,
not realizing we have painted ourself into a corner that isn’t really a corner.
An example of a false dichotomy might be: “People either love Aerosmith, or
they hate Aerosmith. Actually, there are more than the two options of love and
hate: some people may find the band mildly enjoyable while others might find
them slightly annoying.
One issue that we
Christians often apply a false dichotomy to is our own happiness. We tell
ourselves something like this: “I have two options in life. I can either choose
to glorify God or I can choose to be happy.” There we have a big ol’ false
dichotomy. We erroneously believe that there are only two options there. What’s
it gonna be? God’s glory? Or my happiness?
Fortunately, the
church has been blessed with brilliant-minded men and women who can see through
our foggy thinking and shine some light on our dullness. One such man seems to
be Puritan David Clarkson.
I have never read
anything by David Clarkson. I’m only able to reference him because of a
quotation in a book I read this week. On a side note, the book is called The Joy Project and it is written by Desiring
God staff-writer Tony Reinke. It is a wonderful book, available for free at
desiringgod.org, and is highly recommended by many people including me. Check
it out. But back to David Clarkson.
The quotation by
Clarkson reveals the glaringly credulous mistake made by those of us who think
our happiness and God’s glory are at odds. Clarkson declares,
The Lord aims at his own glory and our happiness,
and we aim at his glory and our happiness. And though he may seem more to seek
his glory than our happiness, and we may fear we seek our happiness more than
his glory, yet indeed these two are inseparable and almost coincident. That
which advances his glory promotes our happiness, and that which makes us most
happy makes him most glorious. Wisdom and mercy have made a sweet connection
between his honor and our happiness, so that they cannot be disjoined. We need
no more fear to come short of happiness than we need to fear that the Lord will
come short of his glory, for these two are embarked together.
That is some puritan-esque
de-false-dichotomizing of the fallacy we sometimes arrive at when contemplating
our happiness and God’s glory.
God’s glory, as the
Westminster Shorter Catechism reminds us, is of primary importance when we
consider man’s chief end: “Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy
him forever.” And rightly so. My upcoming sermon, on Malachi 1:6-2:9, is one of
a myriad of Scripture passages one could point to in order to prove that God’s
glory is the point of everything created. But it is wonderful to think that
God, who loves us and delights in us, has not protected and promoted his glory
at the expense of our happiness. Rather, in his loving and faithful way he has
ensured our happiness as we pursue his glory. Take that false dichotomy!
This whole God’s-glory-our-happiness
issue will come to a consummating crescendo when Christ returns and in seeing
him, we behold his glory, are glorified, and are enraptured in total and utter
happiness. Then, free from sin (and feeble thinking that results in false
dichotomies), we will rejoice in the glory of God. Until then, let’s glorify
God and be happy.
