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. 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. Holiness and Happiness are indeed inseparable. All religious books that we know of today, asks people to refrain from lying, cheating and killing. Do what makes you happy,” we’re told. I have it. 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. Atheists think that religion is what's causing war and fights in today's world. 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. 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. With Paul, the progress of the gospel should be our main concern. "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." There are many promises of God though and they include having joy and peace which are not a temporary, fleeting feeling like happiness is. Here is the irony: the less you’re concerned about your happiness and the more you’re concerned about him, the happier you get. Enduring the valleys of life is nearly impossible without the life-giving fuel of joy in Christ. “You’ve got to make sure you’re happy. Seek first to fulfill your own needs, and you’ll come up empty. Bible verses about Happiness. As you know I am an avid believer in Holiness and the Holiness Message. 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. Bobby McFerrin, “Don’t Worry, Be Happy,” Don’t Worry, Be Happy, Manhattan Records, 1988. Your happiness is the most important thing. Greg, I really enjoyed your post here. If the progress of our happiness (comfort, success, etc.) Search for God wholeheartedly and you will be found by him, and happiness will be thrown in as a by-product. But joy supernaturally sustains our souls in seasons of heartache, injustice, and sorrow. This is a reference to George Orwell’s novel 1984 (London: Secker & Warburg, 1949). The difference between joy and happiness is substantial. Throughout the Bible, you find that God isn't primarily concerned with our happiness, but rather, our holiness. - … In fact, I find a theme of suffering in the life of a true believer. Bobby McFerrin, Don’t Worry, Be Happy (New York: Delacorte, 1989). “Seek first the kingdom of God,” and you will find that God meets your … I come to God, and I say this and this and this.’ You cannot bandy with the omnipotent and omniscient Lord of the universe. You can’t say, ‘Oh, great. 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. is our goal, we will miss true happiness. This is not a trick. But, on the topic of "happiness" - no, God's concern about your individual happiness isn't why everything was made. The prosperity or wealth gospel was never preached by Jesus or by the Apostles. The song became so big that it inspired a “lavishly illustrated” book by McFerrin. , we will miss true happiness seek first to fulfill your own happiness and peace and satisfaction having. Religious books that we know of today, asks people to refrain from lying, cheating and killing yet... 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