Blessing doesn’t mean happy
Introduction
Back when I was a boy there was a Peanuts cartoon that showed a boy hugging a little puppy and the caption said, “Happiness is a warm puppy.” And I have to say that puppies, even if I’m not close to them, bring a smile to my face. They’re just so, cute—and fuzzy.
I know happiness, as a goal of life didn’t start there, but that was when I think I first began thinking of, or maybe assuming, that happiness was the goal of life. Being happy was everything. And everyone owed it to me to make me happy and to ensure that I was happy.
I saw the sentiment everywhere. For example, every September 17th a group of folks would come to my house and sing to me, saying, “Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday, dear (I like that part) Mike. Happy birthday to you.” And near the end of December and for several weeks after, everyone said to everyone else, “Happy New Year!”
How could I and everyone else not think happiness was, at least, very very important.
After I became a Christian this notion didn’t change very much. I mean, Jesus began the sermon on the mount (which was his first sermon) by telling the folks that they were blessed and doesn’t blessed mean happy? There are even a couple of versions of the Bible that use the word happy instead of Blessed. And I know that there are a more than a few commentators who equate blessing with being happy.
So, it isn’t at all surprising that people come to me for counsel and say things like, “I know God wants me to be happy.” And, “My husband just doesn’t understand that God wants me to be happy.” Or, “That doesn’t make me very happy.” Further, “I’m not having a very happy time in this situation.”
I’m about to look like I’m changing the subject, but I’m not, really. I was a philosophy major in college and that covered a lot of history. Many, perhaps most of the philosophies that people have come up with over the years were the direct results of the context of the philosophers’ lives and situations. In fact, I don’t think I can name a philosopher who didn’t refer to what was going on around him as he formulated his systems of thought. Consequently, I’ve done a lot of observing. And here’s what I’ve noticed: No one in history was very happy. Happiness was not something that would have characterized any people group anywhere in the world at any time in history.
Happiness
And yet, everyone has always complained about not being happy. We see this, for example, in the Bible where the Israelites are less than 48 hours out of Egypt and they are complaining about how nice it was back in Egypt (Ex 14:12). They totally forgot that part about making bricks without straw (Ex 5:6), or having all their baby boys killed as a way of ethnic cleansing and limitation (Ex 1:16). They forgot that they had been in horrible bondage such that God needed to come and rescue them (Ex 3:7-10).
They also forgot the great miracles that God did to show both them and Pharaoh that he was serious about rescuing them from their suffering and bondage. You know water turned into blood, those frogs and all the other plagues God brought (Ex 7-10). Not to mention that they witnessed God killing all the first-born children of Egypt in one night (Ex 12:29-30).
They just weren’t happy. Now, to be a little bit charitable, they had left Egypt with a lot of the wealth of Egypt and they could see the Egyptian army coming out to take them back. But still, God was obviously with them. And they weren’t happy.
Then they grumbled about the lack of food (Ex 16:3), the lack of water (Ex 17:2), the lack of a Moses presence (Ex 32:1), the giants in the land they were promised (Num 13:33) and on and on until God forbade any of those original adults (save Caleb and Joshua) from entering the promised land (Deut 1:35). They all died in the desert because they weren’t happy with what God was doing in their midst.
Notice here that not being happy led to grumbling against God, lack of trust in God, disobedience to God’s commands, rebellion against God, and the rest.
Now there is a sense in which someone might ask, “Are you saying that people shouldn’t be happy?” Sort of, but also not sort of.
I’m saying that God’s goal for us is not happiness, but something far greater—joy.
Happiness is often, but not always, related to what I’m getting. When its my birthday and I get stuff I want, it makes me happy. When some complements me, it makes me happy. But in both these and many many more examples, the focus of my happiness is my well being according to my estimations and judgement. If someone doesn’t complement me, or if they insult me, I am not happy and that can rule my life. My happiness can really get in the way of what God actually wants for me—joy.
So, what are to do or think instead? Well let’s go back to that blessing thing in the sermon on the mount.
Blessing
Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled.
Blessed are the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God. (Mt 5:1-9)
There is a sense in which we can read happy instead of blessed in each of these cases. Of course, if I get the kingdom of heaven, comfort, the earth (whatever that means), etc. I’ll be happy. But is that what Christ is saying here? I don’t think so.
Jesus is telling us that the second part of the saying is the blessing. So, for example when we are poor in spirit, we will own the kingdom of heaven and that is the blessing. We are blessed because we own the kingdom of heaven. It is ours. The same thing goes for all the rest of the beatitudes as well. The blessing is comfort, the earth, filling, mercy, seeing God. We are blessed if we are those things; poor in spirit, mourners, meek, etc.
Another reason I think that blessing doesn’t mean happy is because of the last two beatitudes that I didn’t list before.
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you” (Mt 5:10–12).
You might say that blessed means happy until you get to these verses. Happy are you when you persecuted, when you are reviled and suffer for Jesus’ sake? I don’t know about you, but when people curse me because I’m a Christian, it doesn’t make me happy. I’m definitely not having a happy time.
But if blessed means the second part of the passage, then if I’m persecuted because of righteousness, and the kingdom of is mine because of it, then that’s a different thing altogether. Or if reviled and persecuted because for Jesus’ sake, and I have a great reward in heaven, now we’re talking. But happiness isn’t the outcome, Joy is. In fact, notice, Jesus said if you are suffering for my sake, you should rejoice and be exceedingly glad. The Greek word Jesus used here means extremely joyful, overjoyed). Jesus is being exuberant. If you suffer for Christ’s sake, you should throw a party!
Peter throws a slightly different light on the subject when he says, “But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you are blessed. “And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled.”” (1 Pet 3:14). Peter is saying that the suffering for righteousness sake is the blessing. You are blessed if you suffer.
You should notice in all these passages that it isn’t simply suffering that involves blessing and rejoicing. It always says something like for righteousness sake or for Jesus’ sake or something like that. So, if you’re suffering because you’re self-righteous (always correcting everyone, or “fixing” everyone, etc.), or if you’re a nag, or grumpy, or trying to lead in a wooden and sinful way, this doesn’t apply to you. You aren’t suffering because you’re like Jesus or because you’re working well to enhance and cause the kingdom of heaven to grow. You’re being “persecuted” because you’re a goof. You’re getting what you deserve.
To go back to what I said above, if you’re suffering because you deserve it, you might deserve it because you’re trying to change people and things around you because you want to be happy. Here’s a place where happiness is clearly self-oriented. “When mamma ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy” is a saying that is totally tied to selfishness and pride.
Joy
In Luke’s list of beatitudes he said this, “Blessed are you when men hate you, And when they exclude you, And revile you, and cast out your name as evil, For the Son of Man’s sake. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy! For indeed your reward is great in heaven, For in like manner their fathers did to the prophets” (Lk 6:22–23). Luke also includes joy in the equation. When men hate you and exclude you and revile you and cast out your name as evil, rejoice. Be filled with joy. Leap for joy! Is he saying be happy? That doesn’t sound right. And it isn’t.
Joy and happy are not the same things. Happiness is tied to the circumstances. It is tied to how we view the circumstances regarding how they make us feel or are advantageous to us or our situation. If I have a warm puppy, I am happy. If I get what I want for Christmas, I’m happy. If no one hurts my feelings and instead makes me feel good about myself, then I am happy. And on and on.
Joy is tied to the one who puts us in the circumstances. The Bible repeatedly tells us to rejoice in horrible situations. For example, James tells us to be joyful when we encounter various trials (Jas 1:3). Paul tell us to glory in our tribulations (Rom 5:3). He tells us he boasts in the horrible situations he found himself in (2 Cor 12:9-10) and then in another place, to those same Corinthians, invites them to imitate him as he imitates Christ (1 Cor 11:1).
Through the letter to the Romans, Paul said, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Rom 8:28). This is saying that everything that happens to us happens because it is a gift of God to us that he is using to make us more like his Son Jesus Christ (v. 29). He goes on to say, “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified” (Rom 8:29–30). He caused it, he created it, he chose us, he knew us, and he did it all to conform us to the image of his son because his son is the most glorious person in the universe.
Conclusion
Does God want us to be happy? I think so, but he wants us to move on past the temporary thrill of happiness to the solid and faith filled arena of joy. Joy comes when we realize that our situation in life is given by the sovereign God because he loves us, wants us to conform to his will, and become like his son.
Suffering happens. Life is often hard. And the Bible tells us that God brings all of this to us. He brings it so that we can be changed into people who trust him and rely on him and lean on him and cry out to him and so that we will rejoice in him and so he can bless us with his Kingdom.
Again, this doesn’t involves happiness. Happiness is temporary. It is us based and focused. It plays to our selfishness, our abominable arrogance. Happiness causes us to chase after false gods. Gods who promise happiness, but bring pain and suffering in a slightly longer run. Go for joy. Rejoice always! Again, I say rejoice! (Phil 4:4).
Instead, God wants to bless us and give us joy.
Image by Christopher Ross from Pixabay