Does God want us to be happy?

Answer

Happiness is an emotion that arises from an inner conviction that all is right with our world. It is a sense of well-being, joy, or contentment. Everyone desires to be happy, but achieving happiness, as our ultimate goal, can be challenging. Individuals may make decisions based on what they believe will bring them happiness, only to experience despair when it remains elusive. Some individuals who believe that God desires their happiness may rationalize engaging in activities clearly prohibited in the Bible by arguing that such choices are essential for their happiness. However, is personal happiness God’s ultimate goal for us? Does He truly desire our happiness?

We were created in the image of God, and it is His design that instills in us an innate desire for happiness. We understand that happiness is attainable because God Himself is happy, and we reflect His likeness. When God created the first man and woman, He placed them in a garden and provided everything necessary for their happiness (Genesis 1:29-30;2:8-9). However, they succumbed to the deception that happiness depended on having all they desired (Genesis 3:1-6). Their failure to recognize God as the source of their happiness resulted in sin and their expulsion from the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:23-24). Since then, humanity has struggled to recapture the happiness that Adam and Eve enjoyed in God’s presence.

God desires our happiness, but not at any cost. His aspirations for us are loftier, broader, and more enduring than momentary happiness «For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. », (Isaiah 55:9). In reality, the pursuit of happiness is not aThe theme of the New Testament emphasizes repeated commands to deny oneself. In Mark 8:34, Jesus said, “Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” Similarly, in Luke 9:23, it is mentioned to take up a cross daily. Romans 6:6-7 also instructs believers to consider themselves dead to sin. These teachings may seem contradictory to the notion that God desires our happiness. How can we find happiness when we are required to choose against our desires?

Spiritual laws, like physical laws, govern our lives, including happiness. God’s path to happiness diverges from the natural inclinations we have. Sinful actions often stem from the lie that doing certain things will make us happier. However, Psalm 1:1 (CSB) states, “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, Nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.” God often uses what the world considers foolish, weak, lowly, or despised to achieve His purposes and bring glory to Himself (1 Corinthians 1:27-28). The psalmist affirms that true happiness comes from delighting in God’s promises and commandments.

Delighteth greatly in His commandments.” (Psalm 112:1).

God desires our happiness, but the fleeting pleasure sin offers is not genuine happiness. Sin may bring temporary joy when our desires are fulfilled. Yielding to anger may briefly satisfy us by releasing tension. However, the aftermath—strained relationships and hurt loved ones—is not joyful. “An angry man stirreth up strife, And a furious man aboundeth in transgression.” (Proverbs 29:22). Engaging in sexual immorality may provide momentary pleasure, but its consequences—shame, pain, unintended pregnancies, and separation from God—are not joyful. “Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.” (1 Corinthians 6:18). Chasing after wealth may bring happiness as long as investments are profitable and thieves are absent (Hebrews 13:5;Matthew 6:19;1 Timothy 6:10), but many wealthy individuals confess to feeling empty despite their riches. The world is filled with people who pursued their ambitions but remain unhappy.

In the fourth century book Confessions, Augustine of Hippo aptly wrote, “Thou hast made us for thyself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it finds its rest in thee.” Every person has a “God-shaped vacuum” in their heart that only God through Christ, not any earthly possession, can fill. True happiness, a divine gift, is fully experienced in a right relationship with God.

God indeed desires our happiness and has provided everything necessary for life and godliness through Christ.Jesus “grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,”, (2 Peter 1:2). He has designed the human heart to experience its greatest ecstasy in worship, its deepest satisfaction in serving, and its greatest love through the power of the Holy Spirit. When we are living in fellowship with Him, we can expect to be joyful regardless of our temporary circumstances (Philippians 4:11-13). Our goal is the prize awaiting us in eternity, so we can endure earthly challenges while remaining hopeful “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;”, (2 Corinthians 4:17). When our joy and hope are based on that which cannot be taken away, we have discovered true happiness, and God is pleased.