happiness

If all there was to go on were sitcoms, movies, and mainstream editorials, we’d have to conclude that marriage is a direct path to misery, the “old ball and chain” that only ties us down, limits our freedom, and cramps our sexual fun. Many people now think of marriage less as “settling down” and more as “settling.” Young people are told, “You’ve got plenty of time, live a little, first,” as if life ends after the wedding.

The truth about marriage, however, is that it is, statistically, the single best predictor of long-term happiness. Making this even more important to understand is that for at least the last 20 years now, Americans have been steadily getting less happy.

The key to happiness in this world and eternal reward in the next is using God’s creation for his glory and our good.

In his prayer for his followers shortly before his death, Jesus included this request: “I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one” (John 17:15). Charles Spurgeon commented: “Jesus did not pray that you should be taken out of the world, and what he did not pray for, you need not desire.”

The happiest people in America believe in God and value close relationships, according to a new Wall Street Journal-NORC survey.

We read of rising animosity against our Father and our faith, then we look at our capacities and ask, “What are they for so many?” We look at the spiritual, financial, and material needs of our day, then turn to our resources and ask the same question.

In response, consider the counsel of Pope St. Leo the Great (died AD 461): “Do not be put off by a lack of resources. A generous spirit is itself of great wealth, and there can be no shortage of material for generosity where it is Christ who feeds and Christ who is fed. His hand is present in all this activity: his hand, which multiplies the bread by breaking it and increases it by giving it away.” Will you put your “lunch” in his hands today?

If we want happiness for ourselves and others in the coming year, we will need to travel the ancient pathway: “Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4). How do we do this? The psalmist explains: “Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act” (v. 5).

God made us to know, love, and serve Him. That is our purpose, and human beings find their deepest satisfaction when living into their purpose. A cultural myth may tell women that they will only be happy if they put themselves first and eschew their potential to bear children, but that denies central aspects of their purpose as children of God and as women. None of us will find true satisfaction by purposefully rejecting our potential to live as God made us.

We’re focusing this week on the urgency and power of living in submission to God’s Spirit (Ephesians 5:18). When we surrender our minds, perspectives, and days to him, he draws us closer to Jesus. As John Calvin noted, the “Holy Spirit is the bond by which Christ effectually unites us to himself.”

Churchgoers are far more likely than the general population to say they are content and satisfied in their family and personal relationships, according to a new survey from Barna and Gloo that is part of their “State of Your Church” project.

Theologian Miroslav Volf, who has written books on subjects ranging from the Trinity to the challenges of reconciliation in divided societies, has turned to what might seem like a frivolous subject: joy.

But Volf, 61, the leader of the Yale Center for Faith and Culture, says studying the theology of joy with students and scholars is “hard work."

He spoke with Religion News Service about the difference between joy and happiness, biblical lessons on joy and how the average person can find joy.

The interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Photo courtesy: ©Thinkstock/beerphotograph