Does God Really Want Us to be HAPPY – Above All Else?

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Does God Really Want Us to Be HAPPY – Above All Else?

This post is part of a series about prayer, happiness, and God’s plans for our lives.

Be sure to catch these other posts:

The Day I Quit Listening to Joel Osteen

The Day I Quit Listening to Joel Osteen – Part 2

Does God Want us to be Happy Above All Else?


What a scene!

A beautiful young woman is on a tropical island trying to determine which of two handsome suitors she cares about the most.

Tensions are running high. Time is running out.

This young woman has to make a tough decision – and soon.


 

All of a sudden, the young woman breaks into tears and appears to be coming unglued.

The TV cameras push in closer to catch every emotion.

And, in that moment, she simply exclaims, “I just want to be HAPPY!”

Isn’t that what all of us want?

Isn’t that what we desire for our children and our grandchildren?

I think “being happy” may be the number one goal, desire, dream, ambition, and prayer for people everywhere.


Today, I want to pose a simple question:

Does God want us to be happy – above all else?

Is happiness to be our chief goal, our main aim, and our life’s ambition?

Hollywood, society, culture, and many Christians would say a resounding, “Yes!”

Our Culture Says:  “You deserve to be happy!”

Society Says:  “You’ve earned the right to be happy!”

Our Friends Say:  “Whatever you decide to do, just make sure it makes you happy.”

Social Media Says:  “You deserve to be happy. You deserve to live a life you are excited about. Don’t let others make you forget that.” (extramadness.com)

Even Pastor’s Wives Say Interesting Things About Happiness:

I just want to encourage every one of us to realize when we obey God, we’re not doing it for God—I mean, that’s one way to look at it—we’re doing it for ourselves because God takes pleasure when we’re happy. That’s the thing that gives Him the greatest joy. So, I want you to know this morning: Just do good for yourself. Do good because God wants you to be happy.” (Victoria Osteen, Lakewood Church, Houston)


All of this sounds pretty good, doesn’t it?

We hear these kinds of things all the time. These thoughts and ideas are ingrained in the fabric of our society today.

However, what does the Bible say in answer to this question?


Does God want us to be happy – above all other things? Click To Tweet


Yes, God wants us to be happy!

Of course, He takes pleasure in seeing His children happy.

The Bible is filled with mentions of happiness, being happy, and having happy lives.

(See Psalm 89:15; Proverbs 15:13; Ecclesiastes 3:12, 22; Romans 12:15)


Happiness is a GREAT thing.

Truly, God created it and wants us to enjoy our lives, our work, and our families.

(See Job 8:6; Psalm 113:9; Proverbs 23:25; Luke 15:32; 2 John 1:4; 3 John 1:3)

There is nothing wrong with happiness or desiring to be happy.

Indeed, God loves us and wants to fill our lives with happiness, joy, pleasure, and fulfillment.


But what about when… Personal happiness is what we want ABOVE ALL other things.

As much as I want “HAPPINESS” to be God’s ultimate goal for us, I find a much different “focus” in the Bible.

Happiness is mentioned in scripture, but it is not listed as the greatest goal and the greatest purpose in all of our lives.


Consider a few verses that discuss the “CHIEF AIM” for all believers:

The Bible Says – Deny Yourself, Take Up Your Cross, & Follow Jesus.

Matthew 16:24-25

‘Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.  For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.”


Francis Chan

“The world says, love yourself, grab all you can, and follow your heart. Jesus says to deny yourself, grab your cross, and follow Me.”


John MacArthur

“The true gospel is a call to self-denial. It is not a call to self-fulfillment.”


The Bible Says – Love God with all your heart, soul, and mind.

Matthew 22:36-40

Jesus replied, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.  This is the first and greatest commandment.”


Adrian Rogers

“Christianity is a love relationship between a child of God and his Maker through the Son Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit.”


Tony Evans

“God is the source. Everything else is just a resource.”


The Bible Says – I am crucified with Christ.

Galatians 2:20

“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”


A.W. Tozer

“People who are crucified with Christ have three distinct marks: 1) They are facing only one direction. 2) They can never turn back. 3) They no longer have plans of their own.”


A.W. Tozer

“A whole new generation of Christians has come up believing that it is possible to ‘accept’ Christ without forsaking the world.”


Also from Tozer

“God wants the whole person and He will not rest until He gets us in entirety.


The Bible Says – Make It Your Goal to KNOW Christ.

Philippians 3:7-11

“But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ…”


Charles Spurgeon

“God has made man’s heart that nothing can ever fill it but God Himself.”


Greg Laurie

You were placed on this earth to know God. Everything else is secondary.”


The Bible Says – Fix Your Eyes Totally on Jesus.

Hebrews 12:2

“Let us look only to [keep our eyes on] Jesus, the One who began [Pioneer/Founder of; or Leader/Prince of] our faith and who makes it perfect [completes it].”


Corrie ten Boom

“If you look at the world, you’ll be distressed. If you look within, you’ll be depressed. But if you look at Christ, you’ll be at rest.”


A.W. Tozer

“How satisfying to turn from our limitations to a God who has none.”


Culture and the Bible are not exactly in sync, are they??

So what do we do?

How are we to respond to this disparity?

And, how do we discern if we think more like the culture or more like the Bible?


How do we know whose philosophies we are following - the world's or God's? Click To Tweet


May I suggest 3 Ways We Can Check Our Motives:

First – Check Your Choices.

When you make the majority of your choices, who are you considering primarily?

Check your choices:

  • Are you asking God what He wants you to do?
  • Are you seeking His thoughts on the matter?
  • Do you get into the Bible to consider His ways?
  • Do you pray over your decisions and choices?
  • Do you talk about your decisions with trusted, godly friends?
  • Or, do you just decide and hope God will bless your decisions?
  • Do you just plow ahead and pray later?

For most of us it comes down to this - It's me or it's Christ. Click To Tweet


It’s my way or it’s His way. There is usually not much middle ground.

Tim Keller

“If your god never disagrees with you, you might just be worshipping an idealized version of yourself.”


Second – Check Your Posture.

For most people, there are two postures we can take toward God – fight Him or surrender to Him.

It’s very hard to do both my will and God’s at the same time. I am either surrendered to His plans or pushing forward with mine.


I am either resting in God or wrestling with Him; I can't do both! Click To Tweet


So, check your posture:

  • Have you yielded to God’s plans for your life?
  • Are you completely surrendered to His Lordship?
  • Are you still – knowing that He is God?
  • Are you resting in Him and His grace?
  • Or, are you in a posture of defiance – doing things as you want to do them?
  • Have you stood up and pressed forward with your plans?
  • Are you rushing, pushing, and demanding your way?
  • Is your posture one of self-reliance and self-dependence?

Augustine

“Because God made us for Himself, our hearts are restless until they rest in Him.”


Third – Check Your Responses.

As life twists and turns, I get to choose how I respond.

I can trust God, obey Him, and allow Him to be the Lord of my life or I can respond with frustration, doubt, and impatience.

Check your responses:

  • When things don’t go my way, do I get agitated?
  • When I don’t get what I want, do I get mad?
  • When life throws me curveballs, do I respond like a child?
  • Or, do I take my frustrations to the Lord in prayer?
  • Do I try to see the bigger picture?
  • Do I try to learn from the pain and the difficulties?
  • Deep down – do I believe that God knows what He is doing?
  • Do I trust Him despite how things look and feel?

Elizabeth Elliot

“God is God. Because He is God, He is worthy of my trust and obedience. I will find rest nowhere but in His holy will, a will that is unspeakably beyond my largest notions of what He is up to.”


Trust and Obey Hymn– 

Not a burden we bear,
  Not a sorrow we share,
But our toil He doth richly repay;
  Not a grief or a loss,
  Not a frown or a cross,
But is best if we trust and obey.

Trust and obey,
For there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus,
  But to trust and obey.

(John Henry SammisDaniel Brink Towner)


Can I boil it down to a few final thoughts?

Does God Really Want Us to Be HAPPY – Above All Else?

When I seek happiness with everything in me – I come up empty.

But, when I seek Jesus Christ above all else, I find deep and abiding peace, joy, rest, and happiness.

It’s really that simple.


So, what do you think? 

Has happiness become too important in our society?

Are we focusing too much on self-satisfaction and too little on Jesus?

I always enjoy hearing from you!


It’s the “happiness” topic. I started this discussion earlier in the year, and I got back so much feedback.

You may want to go back and read my earlier posts on this topic:

The Day I Quit Listening to Joel Osteen – Part One

The Day I Quit Listening to Joel Osteen – Part Two


Articles/Links for More Info:

http://www.crosswalk.com/blogs/christian-trends/victoria-osteen-takes-worship-of-god-to-new-low-it-s-all-about-you.html

https://tombasson.wordpress.com/2015/05/25/god-wants-you-to-be-happy/


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helloredds@gmail.com

Best-Selling Author | Speaker | Blogger| Podcaster | When the world is falling apart, we can ALWAYS trust in God’s goodness!

28 Comments

Jackson Musya · 01/03/2018 at 1:08 AM

Hermeneutics….
Your ‘gentle rebuke’ of the Osteen ministry has an alternative view of various criticisms of Joel’s preachings… it’s palatable for me and does not seem to demonize him or paste a joker’s smile on him…
my criticism is simple: words and how they are used over time matters… “happiness” is increasingly replacing “joy” in our world just as “love” replaced “charity” (the older KJV). Osteen continuously speaks of “hard/ tough breaks” as much as being happy. Perhaps he is learning.

    helloredds@gmail.com · 01/04/2018 at 12:26 PM

    Hey Jackson,
    Thanks for stopping by to make a comment.
    It’s great to hear from you. And, I’m glad to hear Joel is talking more about hard breaks.
    He has such influence, and he is a preacher that I pray for often!
    Blessings to you,
    Melanie

Heather · 10/16/2017 at 8:39 AM

Agreed! I think we are more about our happiness (the problem with prosperity teachers), but God is more about our holiness and pursuit of righteousness, that we glorify Him in all we do and seek His Will, and that we find our joy and contentment in Him. And prayer (as you said in a previous post) is more about “Not my will but yours be done” than it is about getting what we want from God. It’s more about getting done what God wants than getting what we want. Great insights. (I, too, have written about these things and my concerns over prosperity teachers. And like you, it came from a deep desire for a home after renting for 11 years – written about at sweetlybrokengirl.blogspot.com. I feel your pain there. God bless.)

    helloredds@gmail.com · 10/16/2017 at 10:15 AM

    Hey Heather,
    Thanks so much for stopping by today. It’s nice to hear from you.
    And, I appreciate your comments and your feedback.
    I’ll try to stop by and read your house story. Sounds like we have some things in common.
    Hope you have a wonderful Monday~
    Melanie

Lori Schumaker of Seaching for Moments · 09/17/2016 at 1:49 PM

“But, when I seek Jesus Christ above all else, I find deep and abiding peace, joy, rest, and happiness.” Amen! Love this, Melanie! Thanks so much for sharing the hope we have in Jesus at #MomentsofHope!!
Blessings and smiles,
Lori

    helloredds@gmail.com · 09/19/2016 at 10:07 AM

    Hey Lori,
    Thank you for stopping by to leave a kind word.
    I’m enjoying taking part in your link up group each Monday!
    Appreciate you and your encouragement~
    Blessings,
    Melanie

Zim · 09/12/2016 at 9:35 PM

I love your post because it touches on a discussion I had with my Sunday School class last week. The kids’ conclusion was that, if we follow God’s commandments and love our neighbor, we will be fulfilled and happy. Happiness should not be our pursuit, but rather a result of a life lived well. Thank you for the post

    helloredds@gmail.com · 09/13/2016 at 10:32 AM

    Hey Zim,
    How interesting that you were just talking about this topic with your kids. Sounds like you had a fascinating discussion.
    I appreciate your visit and your kind words today.
    Hope you have a blessed day~
    Melanie

Sarah Jean · 09/12/2016 at 2:02 PM

Thank you so much for this post (And subtle shout out to the Bachelorette…) 🙂 It’s true though, when we seek what we want (or more like what we think we want) we will come up empty. But Jesus fulfills all happiness!

    helloredds@gmail.com · 09/13/2016 at 10:28 AM

    (Yes. My college daughter and I have been known to spend Monday nights cheering for our favorite Bachelor!)
    And, isn’t it crazy – when we seek what we want, we come up short. But, when we seek Him – we find fulfillment.
    Thanks for stopping by to leave a kind word today! Seems like I’m bumping into your posts pretty often on Pinterest. Try to repin them when I see them.

Lauren Gaskill · 09/11/2016 at 8:16 AM

I love this post, Melanie. And oh, how desperately our culture needs it. I especially loved this quote: “The true gospel is a call to self-denial. It is not a call to self-fulfillment.” Amen sister. Amen. <3

    helloredds@gmail.com · 09/13/2016 at 10:24 AM

    Thank you, Lauren.
    My prayer is that God will use these truths to touch some hearts that have gotten too immersed in the culture! I know how easily mine can go there. Appreciate you and your kind words~
    Blessings,
    Melanie

Lisa notes... · 09/09/2016 at 4:51 PM

What I love about God is that our greatest happiness is found in him. We don’t have to choose one or the other; they’re the same thing. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I could tell you put a lot of time and energy into this and it’s appreciated!

    helloredds@gmail.com · 09/10/2016 at 11:00 AM

    Hey Lisa,
    I appreciate your visit and your comments today!
    And, I think you are so right – our greatest happiness is found in Him!
    Hope you have a blessed day~
    Melanie

Monica Perez · 09/09/2016 at 4:34 PM

God want us to be Holy. Happiness is for the moment, Holiness is eternal.

Mary Flaherty · 09/09/2016 at 8:43 AM

Melanie, I admit, I was attracted to your post because of the title, and a little afraid of what you’d say. But boy, you blew it out of the park! So many wonderful quotes and thoughts, that it’s hard to choose one to stick with one. I do love the Corrie ten Boom one–“If you look at the world, you’ll be distressed. if you look within, you’ll be depressed. But if you look at Christ, you’ll be at rest.” I think that happiness comes from being at rest, being at peace and allowing joy to overtake us even when we’re not feeling happy. Sure, there are a lot of happy people in the world who don’t even believe in God. I can’t answer for them. But for me–I’m happiest when I’m walking in the will of God. Even when I’m not feeling happy. Happiness is a feeling, not a state of being. It’s fleeting, but God is steadfast. Great words, Melanie.

    hallwayinitiative · 09/09/2016 at 9:42 PM

    Mary, I had the same initial reaction and came to the same conclusion!! Melanie, this post is fantastic. Thank you for sharing Biblical truth with us today.

      helloredds@gmail.com · 09/10/2016 at 11:00 AM

      Didn’t mean to make you girls nervous!
      So glad you stopped by to read anyway!
      You bless me with your kind words~
      Melanie

    helloredds@gmail.com · 09/10/2016 at 10:56 AM

    Hey Mary,
    So glad you dropped by for a visit today!
    And, I love that Corrie ten Boom quote too! She has so many that are good.
    I’m with you as well – I can’t answer for others, but I’m happiest and most at peace when I’m walking close to Jesus.
    Your words have encouraged me today! Thank you.
    Hope you have a blessed day~
    Melanie

Sarah Koontz (@sarahekoontz) · 09/09/2016 at 8:11 AM

I loved this Melanie. I love how you added the “above all else” and explained the difference between God wanting us to be happy, and Him wanting us to be happy above all else. I truly think that my happiness is far less important to God than my holiness, and I think you drew that truth out beautifully in this piece.

    helloredds@gmail.com · 09/10/2016 at 10:54 AM

    Thank you, Sarah!
    Sure do appreciate you stopping by to leave a refreshing word today.
    You bless me!
    Melanie

BlessingCounterDeb · 09/09/2016 at 7:42 AM

I’ve learned the hard way that pursuing personal happiness as a primary goal does NOT result in lasting happiness. But the reverse is also true. Surrendering my life to God’s will for me is much more likely to give me joy that no one can take away. It may not be daily jump up and down giddiness, but it is blessed bliss. Great post, Melanie!

    helloredds@gmail.com · 09/10/2016 at 10:52 AM

    Hey Deb,
    Thanks so stopping in to leave a kind word.
    And, it sounds like you have lived this life under both philosophies.
    Surrender is the key, isn’t it! (As ironic as this seems sometimes!)
    Hope you have a blessed weekend~
    Melanie

Michele Morin · 09/09/2016 at 6:25 AM

I love all the great quotes in this post, Melanie, and the truth is so plain: if we go searching for happiness outside the “narrow way,” we will find only dry cisterns and broken buckets.
You have such a great way of making the truth plain.

    helloredds@gmail.com · 09/10/2016 at 10:51 AM

    Thank you, Michele,
    Your words always encourage my heart!
    And, you are so right, everything outside of Christ leads to dryness and brokenness.
    Hope you have a blessed day~
    Melanie

betsydecruz · 09/09/2016 at 6:22 AM

Wow, Melanie, you have a lot of food for thought here! I especially like your questions to ask ourselves. The Timothy Keller quote about worshiping an idealized version of ourselves in thought-provoking too. May we truly deny ourselves, love God, and make it our aim to follow Christ!

    helloredds@gmail.com · 09/10/2016 at 10:48 AM

    Thank you, Betsy.
    Your thoughtful words and feedback always encourage me.
    I had a wonderful professor at Baylor who used to say, “Get your students to ponder and think things through. That’s how they learn.”
    Many times, I will ask the Lord to use something I write to challenge and inspired others to really think things through. Thank you for affirming that.
    I pray God will bless you today as you have blessed me~
    Melanie

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