The Happiest People on Earth (Part Two)

Last time I suggested that Christians are the happiest people on Earth. We have every spiritual blessing in Christ. Happiness by God’s definition is just so much different from ours which means we have to get our heads around it. Personally, I no longer see a problem with happiness of the earthly kind. The idea that “God wants you holy, not happy” seems a bit dire and may be a false dichotomy. Do we serve a dreary God? As long as it’s sin-free, I say enjoy what God’s given you but don’t take it for granted, do share it and in all things give thanks to God (a hard enough task on its own)! 

So what’s a specifically Christian view of happiness/blessedness? We are people of the Book and of the Spirit, so what does the book say?

Jeremiah 17:7 – “Blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him.” We are blessed by trusting in Yahweh. This pleases Him above most things. There is rejoicing in Heaven! 

Psalm 1:1 – “Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers.” The Christian is happy not to throw in his lot with the wicked, or mock God as others do. This is an unusual way to live and it’s a privilege to want to honour God.

John 20:29 - Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” It’s one thing to witness Jesus in action and believe (or not), but we see Him as a character in a book or at work in the lives of Christians who say what Jesus has done for them and, on that basis, we believe.

Psalm 32:1-2 – “Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord does not count against them and in whose spirit is no deceit.” This is powerful! The forgiveness of sins. If this isn’t a reason for happiness, then we maybe haven’t grasped how much God hates sin. In Christ sin isn’t merely covered, but taken away. It isn’t counted against us! And here Christianity appears unique. We don’t do good deeds in the hope they outweigh the bad and we might just scrape into Heaven. Jesus paid the penalty and we’re counted innocent through faith in Him. 

This scratches the surface.

Jesus turns the concept of happiness upside down. 

Matthew 5:3-12 - “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.  Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.  Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.  Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.  Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.  Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

Not many would see this as the key to happiness. We may baulk at the idea of being insulted and persecuted as a reason to be cheerful. We’d all do well to find some way of reminding ourselves of these verses. This is the happiness that matters most. This is walking by faith, not by sight.