Spread a little (real) happiness today

International Happiness Day is upon us. Expect to see people urging you to realise that “you’re amazing”, flash mobs, random acts of kindness, and free hugs in the street.

But when you look beyond the instant “feel good” kick that being smiled at and being affirmed can give you, you realise that happiness is rather more complex. Happiness is not simply the absence of the fun-sucking realities of life — anxiety, illness, poverty, bad relationships. Even healthy, wealthy people in loving families can be unhappy.

We want more. The recent focus on happiness by psychologists, economists and politicians has some serious science behind it. Turns out that in addition to being warm and well fed, to be truly happy people need a real sense of purpose in life. We need work to do that we find satisfying. We need wider social connections than our immediate families can give us.

And this is where Christians have something hugely positive, but also weirdly counter-cultural to say about happiness.

Happiness, joy and blessing

Jesus did not talk so much about happiness, but about two bigger, deeper ideas: joy and blessing. You can be happy when you look at your new haircut in the mirror and think it rocks. Only to have that evaporate when someone tells you it looks ridiculous. (And yes, that’s what happened to me yesterday.)

But the joy that Jesus speaks about is something that is constant and unaffected by the circumstances of life.

We think about happiness as a feeling or a state of being inside us—how we feel about ourselves and our lives. But when Jesus tells us that his followers will be blessed—he is talking about something much bigger. He is saying we will be privileged and cared for and that life will be good, even if we do not feel it in the moment. He can say this because God our Father is the one who is looking on us with favour, and directing our lives in a direction that is good for us.

But here’s the kicker. In his famous words about blessing, see what the Lord tells us is the context of being blessed as his followers. Here’s a small sample:

"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 those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they will be filled.

Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me…" (Matthew 5 v 3-12)

The happiness we can share with others today is a happiness that only starts when we stop thinking that “We are awesome” and realise that we are poor and hungry, and results in us being meek, merciful peacemakers. The life Jesus promises is one of persecution and mourning.

Only then will we be truly happy. Filled with joy. Profoundly and eternally blessed. Because we will receive mercy, and be given the status of children of God.

That’s a happiness worth sharing not just today, but every day.
 

Speaking to non-Christians about the joy we experience in and through Jesus can be difficult. Watch out for Terry Virgo's new book Life Tastes Better, which tackles the common belief that being a Christian makes life less fun and shows the surprising truth that life with Jesus really does taste better.