Everyone is looking for happiness in our world, but few find it. Those who set big goals and achieve them often find that success doesn’t bring the happiness it promised. True joy is not found in worldly success but in worshipping God.

A theory of the two greatest revolutions in the past century were the communist revolution, now dead, and the Freudian revolution, now stronger than ever. Every year more than billions of dollars go into counseling in this country, as Americans seek to solve the riddle of their unhappiness. Psychology is no longer the reserved for intellectuals or a luxury available only to those who have enough money to buy professional help for their troubled egos. Nowadays everybody is either in recovery or in denial. We’re all rehabilitating our psyches, getting in touch with our inner child, and joining support groups to talk about our depressions, anxieties, compulsions, neuroses, and search for self-esteem. Even common folk like us gather together to seek community, hope and healing.

The fact is, what we and the rest of the world are trying to find happiness. The things we thought would make us happy haven’t worked, so people are heading by the thousands to counselors to find out why. It is estimated that over 80 million Americans will see a counselor next year, and thousands of people will start new careers as counselors. The search for happiness has caused a boom in the American counseling industry.

Why do you suppose there has been such a counseling boom in this country? What do people hope to get from a counselor?

How to be happy

There was a television show called “The Mystery of Happiness.” They went to those we would normally expect to be happy to find out if achieving their dream had changed their lives. For example, they asked a woman who had won $26 million in a lottery if she was happy. “Not really,” was her response. They asked European royalty and Pulitzer Prize winners if they were happy, but they weren’t. They even talked with sports stars, but most of them could only talk about their dissatisfaction with their contracts.

Why do you think there are not more happy people in the world today?

The reoccurring message was about how man fails at being happy. The centered on how babies get happy when they get what they want and become unhappy when we take things away. But anybody can find out what God says will make mankind happy—just read Matthew chapter five.

The Sermon on the Mount

¹ Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him.
The Beatitudes
² And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:
³ “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
⁴ “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
⁵ “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
⁶ “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
⁷ “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
⁸ “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
⁹ “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sonsa of God.
¹⁰ “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
¹¹ “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. ¹² Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. – Matthew 5:1-12 ESV

Jesus says to us that we won’t find happiness in the things of the world. We can devote our lives to pleasure, accomplishment, fame, money, or anything else that the world values and promotes, but they won’t make us happy or bless us. Instead, Christ offers a series of startling messages on how to be happy, stating things in complete opposition to what the world says will make us happy.

Happy are the humble. The world tells us not to be humble. We need to be self-assertive, make sure everybody knows how good we are, and tell our story. The world suggests we even brag a little, so that we’ll get noticed. Post lots of bible verses on Facebook, tweet some great thoughtful quotes. Share some awesome pictures or sayings on Instagram. But Jesus says that it will be the humble who inherit the kingdom of heaven. God will resist the proud and exalt the humble. He will draw near to those who have a recognition that they are incomplete apart from God.

Do you struggle or feel times where you are apart from God?

Happy are the hurting. The world says to avoid pain at all costs. Whatever we have to do to get rid of mourning, we should do it. Cover it up, ignore it, mask it, or pretend it’s not there, because we want to stay away from pain. But Jesus says that the most profound experiences we ever have will come from pain. The greatest truths will be learned through suffering. Some of our most joyous moments will be when everything on the outside is dictating anguish in our lives. Happy are those who hurt, for they shall be comforted.

What does the world try to do with the hurting? How can Christ claim that the hurting will be happy?

What profound experiences or life’s lessons have you gained through tough times?

Happy are the harnessed. The world says that we can have it all. If we’ve got power, we ought to use it. Take every resource to the limit and grab for all the gusto we can. But Jesus says that real happiness is when your power is controlled by the Spirit of God. Joy comes in knowing we have power, but it is under control. We don’t have to demonstrate power continually, regardless of the world’s expectations.

Happy are the hungry. The world says that we don’t want to be hungry; we want to be satisfied. We don’t want to have anything lacking in our lives, since that’s a sign of not being successful, so we need to get everything we can. We should gorge ourselves on things. We should drive ourselves to be successful in today’s world. But Jesus says that true joy can never be found in material things. Happiness comes from having an inner desire to know God and to want to partake of His nature. Those people who fill themselves up on the Lord, rather than the world, will find real happiness.

What happens when some realizes a dream and it still doesn’t make them happy?

Happy are the helpers. The world says that happiness is being served by others. The world is a pyramid, and when we get to the top everyone below us will serve us. So we should do everything in our power to get above others. But Jesus says that He came into this world not to be served but to serve. He came to give His life away. Happiness is found in serving others, not in being served. If you want to be great in God’s kingdom, learn to be the servant of all. Happy are those who are merciful to others, for they shall be ministered to.

How does the world respond to Christ’s call to service?

How have you found serving others is actually better than being served?

Happy are the holy. The world says that joy is found in unrestrained freedom. Sex, drugs, and any pleasurable experience are lifted up as the ultimate goal and glorified as hallmarks of “freedom.” Perversions are marched down Main Street in the name of free speech. This is supposed to give us a sense that we control our own destiny, that we can make our existence happy through the indulgence of sinful delights. But Jesus says that holy people are the ones who are truly happy. We don’t find joy through unrestrained passion. Happiness comes from having a clean heart and knowing that we are walking close to the Almighty.

Happy are the healers. The world says that we are in competition with our fellow workers and should build competitions, use politics, beat people, knock each other out and climb over the carnage to get to the top. But Jesus says that the happy people are the peacemakers, those who can heal situations rather than exacerbate them. Find people who are hurting and heal them. If you’ve got a problem with a colleague, mend it. Rather than dividing people, unite them. Happiness is found not in creating war but in establishing peace.

Why is becoming a peacemaker at odds with the values of this world?

Happy are the harassed. The world wants us to conform to its image. It wants us to live by its standards. It is at war with God, and expects us to be, too. If we decide to stand with God, they’ll attack us. They’ll say bad things about us, harass us, and try to ruin our reputations. But Jesus says we ought to be happy when persecution comes, for it is a sign that we belong to God. We can be happy in the face of harassment, for we know that our lives must be making an impact or the devil wouldn’t bother with us.

As we look over Christ’s design for happiness, we’re struck by the fact that it isn’t the list we would have created. This wouldn’t be the formula for happiness that we would have suggested. But these are exactly the things that will bring happiness. The world is in direct opposition to God, so God’s formula for success is directly opposite to the world’s. We can have the blessing and benediction of God if we’ll follow these principles.

The Beatitudes, to many, are common, truth and real clear; but how is it working for you?

Understand the Pull of the World on your Life

The Christian life isn’t easy. Just knowing the Beatitudes will not make us happy. We live in this world, but we aren’t of the world. So while we’re living in this culture, we have to learn how to live God’s way, and that will create tension with our world. Psalm 1 helps describe how we can do this:

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; – Psalm 1:1 NKJV

There are three things to notice in that verse.

The progression of the world. There are people in this world who are ungodly; that is, they live life without God. They aren’t going in any direction; they simply don’t have God in their lives. The next step away from God is toward sin, and the psalmist says that there are people in the world who are sinners, overtly acting in opposition to God’s truth. The third sort of people are the scornful, those who are rebellious against God and blasphemous in their attitude toward Him. As a person is pulled into the world, he is pulled away from God and toward sin and rebellion.

The pull of the world. Notice that the writer uses three words to describe the world’s pull on us. First he talks about those who listen to the counsel of the ungodly, getting information from those who have no knowledge of God. Second, he speaks of the path of sinners, which is when we start following a path away from God. Third, he tells of the seat of sinners—those who have grown completely comfortable in their lives apart from God. If a man will look back over his life, he’ll find that the things with which he used to be uncomfortable have gradually become comfortable to him. That’s the pull of the world.

The permanence of the world. The author of the psalm says we first walk, or associate, with those separated from God. Then we stand with sinners, identifying ourselves with them. Finally we sit with the scoffers, making their lifestyle our own. This is the pattern of our world, and it’s sucking Christians into it every day. Jesus stepped into this system and said, “I don’t want My people to live like that in the world. Here is God’s alternative.” Then He explained how we can find happiness. By living out the Beatitudes, we can experience the life-changing power of God in the midst of an evil culture.

In your own experience, are those who engage in ungodly behaviors really happy? Why or why not?

Undertake an Agressive Program in the Word

The only way to survive in a world which tries to slowly poison our minds is to renew our minds each day. The psalmist continues on in verse 2:

But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. – Psalm 1:2 NKJV

The blessed man is the one who delights in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. When you reserve that time to read your bible, do you realize that you are looking at the very Word of God? It is different than anything else around you. It is from out of this world. You are getting a direct does of heavenly culture into your system.

I know that if I try to make it in this world, I’ll get pulled down. I know this, because I have. I’ll never be happy following the world’s plan. I know because I have bought into that plan multiple times with the same results. Truly insanity…

When I came to Jesus Christ, the happiness of this world was ruined for me. I’ve got the Holy Spirit inside me, and I can never be happy unless I’m walking with Him. People can try to be happy, but they’ll never achieve it apart from the Lord. Christians can try to follow the world’s plan for happiness, but the only way to find it is to let the Word of God cleanse and renew them.

Paul said to the Christians in Rome:
¹ Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. ² Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is — his good, pleasing and perfect will. – Romans 12:1-2 NIV

By allowing God’s Word to refresh and transform us, we can begin to see the principles of Jesus Christ start to work in our life. We’ll be blessed—happy. There is a path to happiness the world knows nothing about. If we spend our lives cultivating the Word of God, we’ll find real happiness.

Bibliography
Jeremiah, D. (1996). How to be happy according to jesus: Study guide (p. 114). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.