Search for God wholeheartedly and you will be found by him, and happiness will be thrown in as a by-product. - … Do what makes you happy,” we’re told. The prosperity or wealth gospel was never preached by Jesus or by the Apostles. We often assume that the fleeting feeling of happiness, giddy laughter and contentment in the comforts of life is akin to the joy we experience in Jesus. This is a reference to George Orwell’s novel 1984 (London: Secker & Warburg, 1949). If the progress of our happiness (comfort, success, etc.) In a 2006 article in Time magazine, journalists David Van Biema and Jeff Chu cited a Time poll that indicated that more than six out of ten Christians surveyed expressed a belief that God wants people to be prosperous. So many sermons we hear today are all about your own happiness and peace and satisfaction and having all your desires met. This is basic Christian teaching, yet sadly even most Christians today seem to get this wrong big time. But, on the topic of "happiness" - no, God's concern about your individual happiness isn't why everything was made. There are many promises of God though and they include having joy and peace which are not a temporary, fleeting feeling like happiness is. In fact, I find a theme of suffering in the life of a true believer. Job 5:17-27 ESV / 111 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful “Behold, blessed is the one whom God reproves; therefore despise not the discipline of the Almighty. Greg, I really enjoyed your post here. Bible verses about Happiness. "For by Him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by Him and for Him." The difference between joy and happiness is substantial. Seek first to fulfill your own needs, and you’ll come up empty. The many promises of God do not include being happy, entering the narrow way without effort, or having an easy believism like some falsely teach. “Seek first the kingdom of God,” and you will find that God meets your … “You’ve got to make sure you’re happy. Without Holiness we can never trully be Happy and if we are not truly Happy, then I would advise that we are not living the Holy Lifestyle that God has intended for us to live. Atheists think that religion is what's causing war and fights in today's world. Bobby McFerrin, “Don’t Worry, Be Happy,” Don’t Worry, Be Happy, Manhattan Records, 1988. All religious books that we know of today, asks people to refrain from lying, cheating and killing. Your happiness is the most important thing. Holiness and Happiness are indeed inseparable. I have it. Bobby McFerrin, Don’t Worry, Be Happy (New York: Delacorte, 1989). The song became so big that it inspired a “lavishly illustrated” book by McFerrin. Throughout the Bible, you find that God isn't primarily concerned with our happiness, but rather, our holiness. Here is the irony: the less you’re concerned about your happiness and the more you’re concerned about him, the happier you get. You can’t say, ‘Oh, great. With Paul, the progress of the gospel should be our main concern. But joy supernaturally sustains our souls in seasons of heartache, injustice, and sorrow. I come to God, and I say this and this and this.’ You cannot bandy with the omnipotent and omniscient Lord of the universe. As you know I am an avid believer in Holiness and the Holiness Message. Enduring the valleys of life is nearly impossible without the life-giving fuel of joy in Christ. is our goal, we will miss true happiness. This is not a trick. The fact that God IS concerned about our happiness is clear from the fact that He had sent warning to mankind from time to time throughout the history of mankind. 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