Does Happiness Bring Holiness?
Does Happiness Bring Holiness?
The American Declaration of Independence specifies that we are endowed with three unalienable rights: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Would you agree that the pursuit of happiness is intrinsic to our culture’s values, to the point where we feel entitled to being happy? Surveys have reported that many divorces occur because one or both spouses did not feel happy in their marriage. Is it possible that we may have taken the demand for personal happiness, which is a fleeting emotion, a bit too far?
The Scriptures command that we are to “Be holy, because I am holy” (1 Peter 1:16). In Philippians 4:4, Paul exhorts us to “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” But where do holiness and happiness intersect? Happiness is temporal and external. It is a feeling from something pleasing coming to us, whereas joy originates from inside, as we embrace the reality of all that God has given us, how much He loves us, and that He has a plan for our lives. Joy is a fruit derived from being in the center of God’s will. The deep sense of well-being cannot be disturbed by external influences if we are committed to trusting God to lead and guide us every day. The more we trust and follow, the more we become like Jesus, which is becoming more holy. That’s where true happiness (otherwise known as Joy) and holiness intersect.
Paul David Tripp expresses that idea this way: “The God we serve esteems holiness more than He esteems our temporal definition of happiness. He is not working to give us that temporary situational emotional high; He is working to produce something much better: eternal joy.”
Let us Walk in His Way
Dear heavenly Father, please help us to know You better, love You more, and increasingly trust You with the management of our lives. Your joy is our strength. Please help us grow in Your grace and knowledge as we seek true eternal joy, which only comes from You and the abundant life You have promised us. We ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.
by Corinne “Kinney” deHamel
author of “Walk in His Way” for
Carry the Light Ministries
