I find that most Christians are surprised but open to these ideas about happiness, including that God is a happy God and offers us His own happiness. Yet some remain doggedly determined to believe and teach that God doesn’t want His children happy and happiness is inherently wrong. This is so strange, because what loving father doesn’t want his children full of joy and happiness, in the right sense? 

Escrevi no blog sobre seis falsas expectativas que podemos ter e que diminuem nossa felicidade. Por outro lado, quais verdades devem elevar nossas expectativas de felicidade? Eis aqui sete nas quais vale a pena nos concentrarmos.

“神呼召我们成为圣洁，而不是享受福乐”——在做牧师的早年生涯中，我也像今天许多人一样如此宣讲。这话只对了一半。我见过基督徒追求他们眼中的快乐，一头栽进淫乱、酗酒、唯物主义以及对属世成功的痴迷。

Since childhood, I’ve loved the stars. I loved them before I loved the God who made them. Loving God causes me to delight in the stars not less but more—partly because I can’t look at them without thinking of Him and partly because I know He loves His creation. When I enjoy the stars, I pay Him a compliment and join in His enjoyment.

So should we feel guilty for being unhappy, struggling with depression, and being sad at the suffering in our lives and others’ lives? No, but we should feel a liberating hope that Jesus, who knows infinitely more about suffering than we do, offers us and calls us to greater happiness than we’ve known. 

Many Christian men would agree that they’re experts in business, hunting, fishing, football, or cars. Sadly, however, even those who attend Bible-teaching churches may know very little about the Bible and theology. (Everything I talk about in this blog pertains to women also, but I know more women than men who study God’s Word, and I believe men are missing out on joy and happiness as a result.)

The desire for happiness in Jesus is not in opposition to our sanctification; it goes hand in hand with true, humble, Christ-honoring holiness.

In an interview with World Magazine, one of my heroes of the faith, Joni Eareckson Tada, shares this advice for what we can do on days when we don’t wake up feeling happy.

Un évangile qui favorise la sainteté sur le bonheur n'est pas un bonne nouvelle.