Does God Care if You’re Happy?

Do you view God as distant, unhappy, or angry? Do you wonder if He cares about your happiness?

Some in the Christian community consider happiness an ungodly pursuit, one for the spiritually immature. They say that God calls us to joy, while happiness is what the world offers.

If that’s how you’ve been taught, you may be surprised by what our broadcast guest Lisa Harper has to share – that God is happy and that happiness is a gift from Him that we should actively pursue.

Her study on the subject revealed nearly 2,700 biblical passages related to happiness, including verses like Psalm 37:4, which says, “Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.”

Without a proper view of happiness, Lisa says, we wrap verses about “the joy of the Lord” around our pain, put on a fake smile, and act like we’re okay while we’re really dying on the inside.

There’s a better way. Happiness in Christ isn’t based on circumstances, or how your parents, your spouse, or your best friend treat you. It’s based on the reality of our heavenly Father’s perfect love for us. Even if our circumstances are difficult, everything ultimately works out for our good and His glory.

Lisa says that on a practical level we find happiness – even when faced with difficult circumstances – when we focus on God’s love for us, focus on loving others well, and express our gratitude for the blessings we have.

Join us for “Finding Happiness in God” as Lisa Harper shares how being happy is a biblical concept, discusses what keeps us from true happiness, and highlights healthy, practical ways you can find joy even in difficult circumstances. Listen on your local radio station, online, on iTunes, via Podcast, or take us with you on our free phone app.

Today, with your pledge of any amount, I want to send a copy of Lisa’s book, The Sacrament of Happy: What a Smiling God Brings to a Wounded World, as our way of saying thank you for partnering with us. I know you’ll be blessed by it. It will encourage you with a different perspective about who God truly is. (Check our website for details.)

If you haven’t given before, I hope you’ll prayerfully consider it. In the last 12 months, Focus on the Family has influenced 170,000 decisions for Christ. Help us continue to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with millions of people around the world every day.