Does God Want You to be Happy?

Last Sunday I had the pleasurable privilege of teaching Children's Bible Hour at my church one last time. Finding a topic to talk about in my last time was not hard at all. At once I knew that I would talk to the kids about happiness. I know God has taught me much about the reality of happiness over the last few years, and I am also disturbed at how kids suddenly reach an age where happiness and excitement are uncool.

As I thought about happiness, I realized that I think and teach about happiness a lot. I guess that is because I believe true happiness is very important. However, I feel like I sigh whenever I come across a television channel or radio station that is always telling me, "God wants you to be happy!" So I found myself pondering the question, "Does God want us to be happy?" I think the answer is very simple; the important part is how you define the question.

The world clammers after happiness, yet it seems to have no clue what true happiness is. On Sunday, I talked with the kids about some "happy" misconceptions. We talked about how happiness is not equal to having fun or being excited all the time. Happiness is also not related to things going your way. We reached the conclusion that true happiness cannot be found in the things of the world. Even if you have that sweet house on a Hawaiian hilltop, your happiness is not guaranteed.

In my final words to the kids at Believers Fellowship, I told them that true happiness is all about joy in the Lord. Our joy finds its roots in something so much deeper than anything this world has to offer; our happiness rests on the God who made the world and owns everything in it. Also, our joy should be a constant thing (Phil 4:4), because it is based on a constant God. This true joy in the Lord can only come when we have repented and been forgiven of our sin through Jesus Christ, which is God's desire for all. (2 Peter 3:9)

So back to the question, "Does God want you to be happy?" It depends on how you define it. If you mean, "Does want me to have a great life that's always fun and where everything goes my way?" Not necessarily, and if you are a Christian, God promises a life that will include self-denial and suffering. But if you define the question as "Does God want me to have eternal joy that is based on his faithfulness and the good news of his salvation?" Then there is only one answer I can think of: Absolutely. And this is why I talk about happiness so much.