Does God want you to be happy?
“Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked
or stand in the way of sinners
or sit in the seat of mockers.
But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.
He is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither.
Whatever he does prospers.” – Psalm 1:1-3 (full)
“Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked…
But his delight is in the law of the Lord…”
Psalm 1:1-3 (partial)
Have you ever heard the saying, “God doesn’t want you to be happy; He wants you to be holy?”
It’s clever, but not accurate. Happiness and holiness are not mutually exclusive. We just get them turned around.
What father doesn’t want his children to be happy? But a good parent knows a child’s happiness and well-being come from rules and boundaries.
Left to their own “happiness,” children would run in the street, play with fire, and eat candy all day. While those activities might be fun for a while, they will all eventually lead to the destruction of the child.
As an adult, how many of your biggest mistakes/regrets happened because you were pursuing happiness in the moment?
So where do we find happiness? Psalm 1 tells us.
Relationships (Psalm 1:1) – Avoid the wicked, sinners, and mockers.
Meditation (Psalm 1:2) – Delight in God’s Word.
Service (Psalm 1:3) – Being fruitful by helping others brings joy and satisfaction.
As Mark Moore says in Core 52:
“The secret to happiness is in micromoments that turn into habits. Habits continued over a lifetime, become a biography with a very happy ending.”
