The Pursuit of Happiness

What makes you happy? The question should be easy to answer, right? “Just give me this, this, and this, and I’ll be happy.” But that’s not always the case, is it? You can surround yourself with your favorite people, immerse yourself in your favorite activities, and still not be happy. You may be amused or entertained, but those are temporary experiences. Happiness is something that goes deeper.

Many people believe money, success, and fame are the surest paths to happiness. Until they have money, success, and fame. When comedian Dave Chappelle was at the height of his popularity, making millions of dollars, he walked away from it all. His reason? “The higher up I go, . . . the less happy I am.”[1]

That’s why it shouldn’t be a shock to us when we read of celebrities overdosing on drugs, or going into rehab for the thirtieth time, or, even more tragically, taking their own lives. These people climbed to the top and found nothing there that could bring them happiness.

Apart from God, the pursuit of happiness is a mad scramble for something—anything—that will bring us sustained joy and fulfillment. Jesus’ words in Luke 11 may not seem like an obvious answer to our search. “Hear the word of God and obey it”? But don’t be too quick to dismiss it. After all, Jesus wrote the schematic of human happiness. He knows how we’re wired, and He knows what input will produce joy and fulfillment in us.

Remember, we’re created in God’s image (see Genesis 1:27). At the very core of our being, we have a vested interest in His will being done. What matters to Him matters to us, whether we realize it or not.

We can deny being created in God’s image and even rebel against it because God gave us free will. But we can’t deny or rebel against it and expect to find genuine happiness. We’re not wired that way.

When people say, “I deserve to be happy,” they’re usually talking about happiness on their own terms. And that’s not how happiness works. And when they say, “God wants me to be happy,” they’re right. Just maybe not in the way they intend.

God wants us to make His Word a top priority in our lives. He wants us to study it, memorize it, meditate on it, obey it, and apply it to our lives. He wants us to pursue His will instead of our own. If we do that, we will find genuine joy and fulfillment. We will be happy. But happiness isn’t the goal. Obedience is. Happiness is just an amazing by-product of obedience—a gift from our loving heavenly Father. That’s why Psalm 144:15 says, “Joyful indeed are those whose God is the Lord” (NLT).

There’s nothing wrong with wanting to be happy. We just need to go about finding happiness in the right way. You’ll never find happiness by pursuing it. You’ll find happiness by pursuing the Lord. If you want to live a happy life, live a holy life, live a godly life, and put the Lord first. You’ll find that happiness will come as a result.

[1] Sara Steward, “What Are You Laughing At? Back from Africa, Back on Film, Dave Chappelle Won’t Back Down,” February 19, 2006, New York Post, https://nypost.com/2006/02/19/what-are-you-laughing-at-back-from-africa-back-on-film-dave-chappelle-wont-back-down.

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