Everyone wants happiness. From observing people, including myself, this seems unassailably true. Have you ever met a person who did not pursue happiness? We all know people who consistently make choices that guarantee their unhappiness, but from their perspective, they still want to be happy. They desire happiness. They mistakenly believe their jacked-up choices will lead to a state of well-being even though all evidence points to the reality that they are only digging themselves deeper into the hole of misery and unhappiness. Sadly, they seem to lack the understanding and wisdom necessary to guide their choices to attitudes and actions that produce lasting happiness. They unintentionally sabotage their happiness and, this is what’s really sad, the happiness of others. Having stated all that, though, they still want happiness.
In my many years of pastoring no one has ever knocked on my office door and said anything like: “Pastor, I’m really experiencing a great life! My marriage is wonderful; my kids are a blessing; my career is right on course; I enjoy using my gifts and talents serving God through the church; everything’s going so well but I’m just afraid I'm too happy. Do you have any advice on how to bring some sadness into my life?” People just don’t pursue misery, at least not on purpose. Everyone wants to be happy.
Well, why aren’t people much happier than they are? How does one pursue happiness? What does God have to do with all of this? I will explore these and other questions in a series of blog posts. I am also working on a book that addresses the issue of happiness, what psychologists call “well-being,” from the perspective of Scripture. Hope you’ll come along for the ride and, perhaps, you might make some positive changes in your own journey toward happiness and wholeness.
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