Is Being Happy the Most Important Thing in Life?

So how do you answer that question? Is the appropriate response a “no brainer” as it seems to be? What’s the point of living if not to be happy? Maybe the heart of the issue is how we define this word. Most people would probably indicate that happiness is having life, for the most part, the way we want it. That would seem to make sense. Who enjoys not getting their way? The only thing is, much of the time we don’t get what we want. And if we look at history, we see that if we define happiness on the basis of getting the creature comforts in life, some of the most influential and respected people in history weren’t anywhere near being happy. If having a comfortable, pleasant life is happiness, it’s hard to imagine Moses or Abraham Lincoln being happy. Based on such a definition, would we say Jesus was happy?

This week in our study of the book of Acts we’ll begin to look at the missionary journeys of the Apostle Paul. These trips literally changed the course of history, but they were not at all filled with what we would call “happy” times. So, maybe being happy isn’t the most important thing in life. Maybe it’s more important to do what is right, to be the person God intends for us to be. If you’ve been chasing the “happy” life but seem to be always coming up short, join us either this Saturday (6:00 pm) or Sunday (10:00 am). You just might discover the life you really have wanted all the time has been a whole lot more accessible than you ever imagined.