Scores of books have been published about happiness… how to find, understand, and maintain it. It seems like there is a new one every month.
The “pursuit of happiness” was written into our founding documents.
It’s part of the American dream.
It seems like everyone wants to be happy, each seeking happiness in different ways. Some say it’s about doing the things you love. Others believe that finding one’s purpose will make them happy. Still, others think they would be happy if they could change their gender at will.
Large numbers of Americans consider being happy their number one goal in life. But, despite that, most Americans don’t seem to be at all happy with their lives.
Covid, vaccine injuries and deaths, the economy, inflation, school shootings, and overreaching government officials don’t give Americans much to be happy about these days. According to the 2022 World Happiness Report (the most recent year available), America now sits at No. 16 among other countries. We’ve never cracked the top 10.
Many seem to think that life in America is getting more miserable every day. The report shows a nearly 50% increase over time in the number of people who say they are unhappy. Even if people do manage to find happiness, it doesn’t seem to last very long.
Because of this, we’re seeing a rise in relativism in America. Relativism is the belief that there is no absolute truth, only the truths that a particular individual believes at the moment. If you are a relativist, you think it is acceptable that people can have different views about what is true or not. In other words, whatever makes you happy.
Ironically, this rise in relativism is contributing to even more unhappiness.
Relativists hold that you can be a woman or a man, a cat or a wolf, depending on what makes you happy that day. They insist you must believe it too, or you are a hateful and hurtful person that makes them unhappy. This is because they are, above all, uncomfortable with the truth. Famously, they can’t define what a woman is because they reject absolute truth. (Alissa Ann Linnemann gets it right when she says, “A woman is a human adult female”.) In other words, a human being with two X chromosomes…
Is long-term happiness even possible?
The answer can be found in the very origin of the word. The word happiness comes from the Old Norse “happ,” which means temporary good luck or good fortune. Happiness is a short-term feeling not to be confused with a permanent state of being.
Happiness can begin and end within hours, even minutes.
Some years ago, my wife’s friend got married. Her wedding day began as a happy one. The music, the flowers, and her dress were all seemingly perfect. Her parents were happy, beaming with joy at the event. The guests attended a fabulous reception with great food and dancing... That is until the bride’s father was found dead on the floor in the men’s room. He had suffered a massive heart attack there at the reception. As one can imagine, all that “happiness” instantly became sorrow.
Contentment can be described as the absence of worry… whether that be about who we are, what we have or don’t have, or what our condition is in life.
Being content doesn’t mean having all our wishes and wants met. Being content doesn’t mean we should not want something or wish for a change in circumstances. It does mean that we should be satisfied with what we have in the here and now. We might ask ourselves, “Are all my needs met today?” If yes, we have enough reason to be content… but not always happy.
True contentment is not dependent on external factors that will constantly change. It is an inner assurance of gratitude for what one has that allows us to rest calmly in the face of our daily struggles!
How, then, can anyone find true happiness? As always, we can turn to the Bible for answers...
The King James Bible Dictionary shows happiness as being closely related to the definition of the word blessed, meaning enjoying spiritual happiness and the favor of God. In Matthew 5:3, when Jesus preached, “Blessed are the poor in spirit for they shall inherit the earth” during His Sermon on the Mount, it might well be translated as “happy are the poor in spirit”. When Jesus said, “the poor in spirit,” He was describing those aware of their desperate need for God and dependence on Him for their salvation.
As it turns out, the best way to think about all of this is in terms of contentment instead of happiness. Contentment forms a solid foundation for our lives, while happiness is built on sand.
Despite all the beatings, poverty, and hardships he suffered, Paul was content no matter what. He wrote this in his letter to the Philippians…
“11 Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. 12 I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little.” (Philippians 4:11-12)
(6 Min) PODCAST: Do You Know ANYONE Who is Happy these Days?