Pursuit of happiness

Why are so many people unhappy?

 

It is an interesting question because, by many measures, life has never been better. In his book The Price of Everything, author Eduardo Porter examines what he calls the paradox of American happiness. Real per-capita income increased dramatically during the second half of the twentieth century. We accumulated more cars, televisions and other conveniences. Educational attainment increased, and life expectancy steadily grew.

 

Yet, according to the observations Porter cites, our sense of contentment did not rise along with our standard of living. In many ways, the opposite happened. We became wealthier and more comfortable, yet we continued searching for something more.

 

Perhaps that is because we are looking for happiness in the wrong places. We tend to look in two directions: culture and religion. Unfortunately, both can disappoint us.

 

Consider culture. Every day we are surrounded by advertising telling us that happiness is just one purchase away. Buy this car. Wear these clothes. Use this shampoo. Take this vacation. Get this credit card. Look like this celebrity. The message is consistent: You will be happy when you have the right things.

 

But eventually we discover that possessions don't deliver what they promised. We buy the house, only to discover that the mortgage comes with it. We get the job, only to discover that it consumes our lives. We buy the car, and before long we are thinking about the next car.

 

There is another problem with pursuing happiness through circumstances: We don't always get what we want. We may not get married. We may not have children. We may not get the career we hoped for. We may not become wealthy. We may experience illness, disappointment or broken relationships. If our happiness depends on getting everything we want, then we have built our lives on a very fragile foundation.

 

And what happens when we turn from culture to religion? Religion can disappoint us, too. There are countless spiritual options available today. Some people embrace a vague spirituality that speaks about finding the divine within ourselves or discovering our connection to the universe. But if spirituality is ultimately about ourselves and our feelings, we are still left searching without a map.

 

Even Christianity can be distorted into another version of the American dream. Some forms of Christian teaching suggest that if we have enough faith, God will give us health, wealth, success and trouble-free relationships. But that isn't the picture we find in the Bible.

 

Look at Jesus. He was born into a poor family. He lived simply. During his ministry, he sometimes went hungry and had nowhere to lay his head. His family did not always understand him. One of his closest friends betrayed him. Other friends abandoned him. He experienced physical suffering and died a brutal death.

 

If perfect health, financial prosperity and trouble-free relationships are God's promise to every believer, Jesus himself would seem to have missed the promise.

 

The Bible offers us something different. It speaks much less about happiness and much more about joy. That distinction matters. Happiness is often connected to what happens to us. Joy is something deeper. It can remain even when circumstances are difficult.

 

That is why the biblical letter to the Philippians is so important. The Apostle Paul repeatedly speaks about joy, and yet he wrote the letter while experiencing hardship and imprisonment. His joy was not dependent upon comfortable circumstances.

 

The very first verse introduces us to the key: Paul and Timothy describe themselves as “servants of Christ Jesus.” They had placed their lives in the hands of Christ. Their identity, purpose and hope were not ultimately determined by their possessions, health, relationships, careers or circumstances. That is a radically different way to approach life.

 

Jesus did not come to give us a religious version of the American dream. He came to give us a meaningful life and to invite us into something larger than ourselves.

 

And there is an important paradox here. Jesus found joy not by demanding to be served, but by serving others. He said, “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve.” That is almost the opposite of the message we hear from our culture.

 

Culture says, “Make yourself important.”

 

Jesus says, “Serve.”

 

Culture says, “Get more.”

 

Jesus says, “Give.”

 

Culture says, “Protect yourself.”

 

Jesus says, “Love others.”

 

Culture tells us that happiness comes when the world revolves around us. Jesus teaches that joy comes when our lives are centered on God and directed toward others. This doesn't mean Christians never experience sadness, loneliness, pain or disappointment. The Bible never makes that promise. In fact, the opening chapter of Philippians was written by a man sitting in a prison cell.

 

The Christian promise is not that life will always be easy. It is that life can have meaning even when it isn't easy. We will not get everything we want. Some of our dreams will remain unfulfilled. Some prayers will seem unanswered. Some seasons of life will be painful. But our joy does not have to depend upon circumstances going our way.

 

I don’t ask, “What will make me happy?” I ask, “What will give my life meaning?” The letter to the Philippians gives me the answer: Jesus Christ.

 

Happiness comes and goes. Circumstances change. Possessions wear out. Careers end. Bodies grow older. Relationships experience difficulties. But a life rooted in Christ can possess something deeper—a joy that doesn't disappear simply because life doesn't go according to plan.

 

That is a kind of happiness worth pursuing.