Feeling Broken? How to Find True Happiness | Fr. Mike Schmitz

Devotional

Day 1: It Is Not Good for Man to Be Alone

From the very beginning, God created humanity for relationship, declaring that it is not good for man to be alone. This foundational truth reveals that we are made for connection—with God and with one another—and that our deepest sense of belonging is found not in isolation, but in communion. Even when you feel out of place or like you don’t belong, you are exactly where you need to be, because God desires you to be present and connected. You are not an accident; you are wanted, and your presence matters deeply to God. [02:16]

Genesis 2:18-25 (ESV)
Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.” Now out of the ground the Lord God had formed every beast of the field and every bird of the heavens and brought them to the man to see what he would call them. And whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. The man gave names to all livestock and to the birds of the heavens and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper fit for him. So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. Then the man said, “This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.” Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.

Reflection: Who in your life might be feeling alone or out of place today, and how can you reach out to them to remind them that they belong and are wanted?

Day 2: Every Sin Is an Attempt to Be Happy Apart from God

Sin is not simply breaking a rule; it is the attempt to find happiness, fulfillment, or meaning apart from God. The original temptation in the garden was not to choose something obviously evil, but to reach for something good in the wrong way—seeking satisfaction without God at the center. Every time we sin, we are echoing that ancient desire to be left alone by God, to pursue our own way, and in doing so, we find ourselves splintered, broken, and drifting further from the source of true joy. [05:28]

Genesis 3:1-7 (ESV)
Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.

Reflection: In what area of your life are you tempted to seek happiness apart from God, and what would it look like to invite Him into that place today?

Day 3: We Become What We Repeatedly Choose

Our lives are shaped by the choices we make, both big and small. Sin is not just a one-time act but a pattern that forms habits, and habits that become our character. The sobering reality is that we become what we repeatedly choose—if we continually choose to turn away from God, we become more distant; if we choose Him, we become more like Him. The good news is that because of Jesus, we are no longer doomed to drift, but can choose to be bound back to God and receive His forgiveness and life. [21:14]

Romans 6:23 (ESV)
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Reflection: What is one small, repeated choice you make that is shaping your heart—either toward God or away from Him—and how can you intentionally choose differently today?

Day 4: God Loves You Personally and Wants You

God’s love is not generic or distant; it is deeply personal and intentional. You exist because God wants you to exist—He looked at all of creation and decided He did not want a universe without you in it. His love is not mere tolerance; it is infinite attention and desire for you. Even when you feel unlovable or insignificant, remember that you matter infinitely to God, and everything you do matters to Him. [24:25]

Psalm 139:13-18 (ESV)
For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them. How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I would count them, they are more than the sand. I awake, and I am still with you.

Reflection: When you consider that God wants you and gives you His full attention, how does that change the way you see yourself and your daily choices?

Day 5: Jesus Left Everything to Rescue You

When we were drifting, broken, and unable to return to God on our own, Jesus left heaven, entered our world, and at great personal cost, rescued us. He took on our wounds, our shame, and our sin, binding us back to Himself through His suffering and death. Every time you see the cross, remember that it is your price tag—proof of how much you are worth to God. Because of Jesus, you are no longer destined to drift; you can choose Him and receive forgiveness, healing, and a future. [35:25]

Philippians 2:5-11 (ESV)
Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Reflection: When you look at the cross, what do you hear Jesus saying to you about your worth and what He has done to bring you home?

Sermon Summary

There are moments in life when we feel out of place, longing to be anywhere but where we are. Yet, even in those moments, God has a purpose for us—He wants us here, now, because He desires us personally. From the very beginning, God created a good world and declared that it was not good for us to be alone. We were made for communion, for relationship, and for goodness. But the story of humanity is not just one of goodness; it is also one of brokenness. The first sin was not simply a mistake, but an attempt to find happiness apart from God. The fruit in the garden was good, but the desire to possess it without God’s blessing was the root of our separation.

Sin, at its core, is the choice to seek fulfillment away from God. We are free to choose, but not free to choose the consequences. The result of sin is a splintering—a “Sund”—that leaves us divided, weakened in intellect and will, attracted to what harms us, and ultimately facing death. This original wound is something we inherit, not by our own fault, but as a reality of our human condition. We are good, but we are broken.

Despite this, our culture often tells us that being “good enough” is sufficient, that we can drift toward heaven as if it were effortless. But just as no one drifts to the Olympics, no one drifts to heaven. It requires a deliberate choice, a shaping of our lives around God. Yet, even our best efforts cannot change our direction if we are untethered from Him. Sin is not just missing the mark; it is redefining the target to suit ourselves, making virtues out of faults we refuse to correct.

But God does not leave us alone, even when we ask Him to. His love is not mere tolerance; it is a personal, infinite attention that desires us specifically. We exist because God wants us to exist. The cross is the ultimate proof: Jesus left everything to rescue us, to bind up our brokenness, to give us a way home. Now, because of Him, we truly get what we choose. If we choose God, we get God. If we choose to be left alone, He will honor that too. The question is: What do we want? What are we asking for? The invitation is open—choose Him, and receive the fullness of His love.

Key Takeaways

1. Sin Is Seeking Happiness Apart from God Every sin is rooted in the desire to find fulfillment without God. The original temptation was not to choose something evil, but to grasp for something good in a way that excluded God. This is the heart of all our wandering: the belief that we can be satisfied apart from the One who made us. Recognizing this helps us see that sin is not just breaking a rule, but breaking relationship. [05:28]
2. We Are Good, But We Are Broken Humanity bears the image of God and is fundamentally good, yet we are wounded by a deep splintering—our intellect is darkened, our will is weakened, and we are drawn to what harms us. This “original wound” is not our fault, but it is our reality. Accepting this truth humbles us and opens us to God’s healing, rather than leaving us in denial or despair. [07:14]
3. No One Drifts to Heaven Just as no one accidentally becomes an Olympic athlete, no one drifts into holiness or heaven. Our lives are shaped by the choices we make, and we become what we repeatedly choose. Drifting leads only to further separation; intentionality and surrender to God are necessary for true transformation. [12:04]
4. God’s Love Is Personal and Infinite God does not merely tolerate us—He wants us. Our existence is not an accident, but a deliberate act of God’s will. His love is so personal that He gives us His undivided, infinite attention at every moment. This truth is both comforting and challenging, for it means that everything we do matters deeply to Him. [24:25]
5. The Cross Is Our Rescue and Our Choice Jesus did not leave us drifting in our brokenness. At great personal cost, He entered our world, suffered, and died to bring us home. The cross is the price tag of our worth and the means of our healing. Now, because of Jesus, we truly get what we choose—if we want God, we receive Him; if we want to be left alone, He will not force Himself upon us. The invitation is to choose Him, again and again. [35:25]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:27] - When You Don’t Want to Be Here
[01:47] - God’s Goodness and Our Longing
[02:16] - “It Is Not Good to Be Alone”
[04:14] - The First Temptation and Sin
[05:28] - Sin: Seeking Happiness Without God
[06:36] - The Splintering of Humanity
[07:47] - Four Consequences of Original Sin
[10:49] - We’re All in This Together
[12:04] - No One Drifts to Heaven
[13:58] - The Fourth Consequence: Death
[15:55] - Drifting and the Need for Rescue
[17:07] - Redefining the Target
[19:01] - Why We Need to Be Bound to God
[23:06] - God’s Love: More Than Tolerance
[24:25] - You Exist Because God Wants You
[29:15] - The Shroud of Turin and the Suffering of Jesus
[34:45] - Jesus Leaves Everything to Rescue Us
[36:01] - What Do You Want? The Invitation to Choose

Bible Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading

Genesis 2:18-25 (ESV)
> Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.” ... And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.

Genesis 3:1-7 (ESV)
> Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” ... Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked.

Romans 6:23 (ESV)
> For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Observation Questions

In Genesis 2, what does God say about man being alone, and how does He address it?
According to Genesis 3, what was the real temptation behind eating the fruit, and how did the woman see the fruit?
What are the four consequences of original sin described in the sermon? ([07:47])
According to Romans 6:23, what is the result of sin, and what does God offer instead?

Interpretation Questions

The sermon says, “Every sin is an attempt to be happy apart from God.” How does this idea change the way we think about sin? ([05:28])
The speaker describes humanity as “good, but broken.” What does it mean to accept both our goodness and our brokenness? ([07:14])
The sermon compares drifting to heaven with drifting to the Olympics. Why is intentionality important in our spiritual lives? ([12:04])
The message says God’s love is not just tolerance, but personal and infinite. How does this challenge the way we see ourselves and our relationship with God? ([24:25])

Application Questions

The sermon starts by acknowledging that sometimes we don’t want to be where we are, but God wants us here. When have you felt out of place or wished you were somewhere else? How might God be inviting you to see purpose in your current situation? ([00:27])
The first sin was reaching for something good in a way that left God out. Are there “good” things in your life that you are tempted to pursue apart from God? What would it look like to invite God into those areas? ([05:28])
The message says, “We become what we repeatedly choose.” What is one habit or choice you make regularly that is shaping you? Is it drawing you closer to God or further away? ([21:14])
The sermon talks about “drifting” and says no one drifts to heaven. Are there areas in your faith where you feel like you’re just drifting? What is one step you could take this week to be more intentional? ([12:04])
The speaker describes God’s love as personal and says, “You exist because God wants you to exist.” How does this truth affect the way you see your own worth and value? ([24:25])
The cross is described as the “price tag” of our worth. When you look at Jesus’ sacrifice, what does it say to you about how much God values you? ([36:48])
The sermon ends with the question, “What do you want? What are you asking for?” If you could ask God for one thing right now, what would it be? Are you choosing Him, or asking to be left alone? ([36:01])