Do you often hear your daughter say things like “When _____ happens, then I’ll be happy.” If so, your daughter may be suffering from something called “destination disease”.

Destination disease causes a person to always search for happiness somewhere in the future. When I make first chair in band, when I get my driver’s license, when I graduate valedictorian…then I’ll be happy! The prime symptom of destination disease is discontentment. Those infected by it postpone joy until some distant occasion that truthfully, may never even transpire.

Scripture constantly reminds us that as believers in Christ, we are called to live a life of joy. Our contentment is found in Christ, and everything else is peripheral. By raising up your girl to live life with a grateful heart, her happiness won’t rely on whether or not she succeeds, but rather, her joy will come from the Lord.

Listen to the Raising Godly Girls Minute with Patti Garibay: