Seeking Happiness

by Stephen Melton | July 14, 2009

Jesus says in Matthew (6:33), "Seek first the kingdom of God and all these things shall be added unto you." "All these things," includes food and clothing, and the other assorted "things" we often worry about. I don’t think Jesus meant we should never buy clothing or, if we are hungry, pretend like it doesn’t matter. I think he was telling us something we know is true: sometimes we get overly worried about things in our striving to be happy.

Most of us want to be happy, that is behind our desire for things. Sometimes we think the purchase of this thing or that thing will give us happiness, but mostly, the things we buy are like sugar on the tongue. Whatever pleasure they give disappears before we know it.

In his book, Grow Up, Frank Pittman gives some wonderful advice on happiness. Most of the advice sounds like the Wisdom literature of Proverbs, where the general advice is simple. If we want to be happy, be kind to others: "A generous person will be enriched, and one who gives water will get water." (Proverbs 11:25)

For the month of July, my Tuesday Mornings will be sharing quotes from his book.

 

Frank Pittman

Grow Up: How Taking Responsibility Can Make You a Happy Adult

Happiness and Religion

Surveys generally show that religious people are happier or perhaps that happy people are more religious. I certainly notice the same thing. Religious people have a sense of belonging and a sense of purpose, important components to happiness, and they have a set of rules that enables them to figure out how to do the right thing. Perhaps even more important, they are encouraged to see themselves as redeemable through some effort of their own. Perhaps religion is therapeutic because it offers acceptance of human essence and thus erases shame, while it offers a code of behavior that encourages guilt when people don’t do the right thing. (18)

Together in Christ,

Stephen