Chapter 3 - Does God Want Us to be Happy?

 

The title of Chapter 3 is, Does God Want Us to be Happy? Alcorn goes on to answer that question this way:

I’ve studied more than 2,700 Scripture passages where words such as joy, happiness, gladness, merriment, pleasure, celebration, cheer, laughter, delight, jubilation, feasting, exultation, and celebration are used. Throw in the words blessed and blessing, which often connote happiness, and the number increases. God is clear that seeking happiness—or joy, gladness, delight, or pleasure—through sin is wrong and fruitless. But seeking happiness in him is good and right.

I think his answer is not just “yes” but “yes-er-reeee Bob!” But what about the very real pain of life? Are we just to pretend it isn’t real? Paul described his life as consisting of

“afflictions, hardships, calamities,  beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger…  We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and yet not killed;  10  as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything” (2 Corinthians 6:4-10 ).

 

Paul was sorrowful, but even in the midst of very real sorrow there was a bigger underlying joy that came from an eternal perspective and a daily walk with God. Alcorn puts it this way.

 

“By being happy in Christ, we lay claim to the fact that God is bigger than the Fall and affirm that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will reverse the Curse and reign over a new universe. Our happiness shouts that our God is present with us and at work in the world every minute of every hour of every day. The narrower our view of God’s presence in this world—and in our daily lives—the less happiness we’ll experience.”

 

I see this all the time at the funerals of believers. The family is both deeply sorrowful, yet resting in a deeper joy that comes from knowing the loved one is with the Lord, out of pain, and experiencing eternal bliss. Sorrowful, yet rejoicing.

Exercise: What eternal perspective can you think about right now that will enable you to be sorrowful yet joyful with whatever disappointment you are going through?