Happiness Defined

The Greek philosopher Aristotle said, “Happiness is the meaning and purpose of life, the aim and end of human existence.”

Happiness is so important to us as Americans that it is actually in our Declaration of Independence. As you know, it states that among other things, we as Americans are “endowed by [our] Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”

It is also a hot topic today. People are talking about happiness like never before. Many studies have been done on happiness. There are college courses taught on the subject. And an article in Psychology Today pointed out that in 2000, there were 50 books written on happiness, but just eight years later, there were 4,000 books written on the topic.

The Bible talks about happiness as well, but it defines it in an altogether different way than our culture does. When we read the word “happiness” in the Bible, it is speaking of something that is self-contained. In other words, you can experience happiness regardless of your circumstances. The happiness the Bible advocates does not come from what you have. It isn’t dependent on whether things are going well. It comes from who you know. And the “who” I am referring to is the Lord himself.

A really happy person is hungry for the things of God. You go and you have a good meal of Bible study and worship. You dig in and are satisfied. But you are hungry afterward and want to do it again. That is a good sign, you see. That is a sign of a happy person—a person who is walking with God.

We should be growing in faith. We should be growing spiritually. Blessed—or happy—are those who continually hunger and thirst for righteousness. Are you satisfied with your spiritual state right now?