It seems to be the buzz word these days. Log onto pinterest for 5 minutes and there are cutesy little inspirational quotes that will say things like this:
Or I hear well meaning Christians say things like-- "Christians should be the happiest people in the world."
While I understand that people sometimes need a little 'pick me up' and that happiness is a good thing, I do not think that it is the most important thing. In fact, I think that often times we will not be happy, and that doesn't mean that there is anything wrong with us. It doesn't mean that there is anything wrong with our circumstances. It just means that we don't live in a perfect world, and I get concerned when I start seeing happiness being advertised as the 'be all-end all' of our lives. Its not.
Sometimes we are going to have to do things that don't 'make us happy' but are right. Sometimes God asks us to do things that we're not thrilled about, and what concerns me is this-- if we're focusing so much on being happy that it becomes the goal of our lives, then we're going to come up disappointed when our best efforts at being happy 24/7 fail. I don't see anywhere in the Bible where Jesus or the prophets or Paul or any of the apostles teach that happiness is the 'right way.' Sure, we need to be grateful and live lives of thankfulness and gratitude. But hard things happen. People betray us. Lives are lost. Jobs are lost. Circumstances don't pan out the way we think they should. Its life. And If we make happiness the goal, I am afraid that we are going to spend a lot of days wondering what is wrong with us when we actually don't feel happy.
Let me just tell you, there is nothing wrong with you. Its alright to be sad sometimes. Its all right to feel a full spectrum of emotion on many things. Jesus was not always happy. And His prayer in the garden, before His being brought before Pilate was not coming from a place of happiness. He was begging His Father to 'take this cup' from Him, if there was another way that God's plan could happen (Matthew 26:36-46). Jesus was not happy in that moment. And that is understandable. He was facing excruciating pain and hardships-- more than many of us will ever know. And I don't think Jesus' goal was to be happy, either. It was to please God. And He did please God by walking out in obedience.
I also think that this idea of 'do what makes you happy' is dangerous because sometimes what makes us happy is not good for us. Sometimes its harmful for us. Maybe doing drugs makes someone 'happy' but it is not good for the person doing it, or for those around them. It is bad, physically and mentally and will have far reaching consequences, often times. Sometimes speeding makes people happy, but it can result in huge fines, injury or death.
Lastly, happiness is a feeling. It is different than joy. As Christians, we talk about 'joy' often and I think sometimes happiness and joy are kind of thrown into the same category. But they are not the same. In fact, I would argue that they are vastly different. Happiness results from circumstances and it is a feeling that comes and goes. Joy can be constant. It is a deep conviction and belief that no matter what comes in this life, God remains the same and heaven is my home. Kay Warren says it much better than I can: "Joy is the settled assurance that God is in control of all the
details of my life, the quiet confidence that ultimately everything is
going to be alright, and the determined choice to praise God in every
situation." If someone buys me a smoothie, that makes me happy. If someone cuts me off in traffic, that makes me frustrated. If someone shouts at me, that makes me sad. These are all normal emotions to feel regularly. And we should not feel guilty when we are not happy. It is ok. Joy, however, remains despite circumstances.
Again, happiness is a good thing. I am not bashing happiness and saying that everyone should be walking around like glum Eyeore's. But I am saying that there are dangers when we focus on our happiness above all else. There are dangers when that becomes the goal of our lives-- to be happy. I think we need to enjoy the happy times, and also realize that sad times will come, and that is not a defect in our lives, it is a fact of life because we live in an imperfect world. Worshiping happiness is a problem, and it seems like its been on the rise lately. Please, if painting makes you happy then paint. If riding horses makes you happy, then by all means, ride horses. But don't use the excuse of wanting to be happy to justify poor decisions. That is where it becomes a slippery slope.
I read something the other day that said 'I would rather be honest than impressive.' And I think there is so much truth in that. Sometimes my honesty is not always butterflies and rainbows. Sometimes healing and life includes sadness and pain and hardships. That is life and if we're only ever seeking to be happy, I am afraid that we'll come up empty every time. We are not guaranteed happiness. But we are told that we can 'rejoice' in hardships and we can have continual joy because we know whose we are and who we are and because we know that this imperfect world is not the end. We can have joy in knowing that the life to come far outweighs this one and that that is what we're living for.This is our temporary home.
So where is your focus? Is it on being 'happy' all the time? Or is it on finding that deeper joy that comes from God alone?
Joy from above is where its at. Focus on joy, not on happiness.
