Happiness is Overrated

If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them. — John 13:17

Last week I heard a testimony about a mother who tragically lost one of her children. She said to God, “But God, I was so happy. How could You do this?” She testified that God seemed to say within her spirit, “I didn’t call you to be happy. I called you to be holy.”

So many people leave a marriage saying, “I’m not happy anymore.”  Many leave a church for the same reason, “I’m not happy.”  Happiness is one of the most overrated of all human emotions.  Happiness is a weak emotion for weak people.  The truth is, my happiness can be compromised by something as weak as traffic, a computer glitch, or my favorite ball team losing a game. How pathetic I am at times.

God is not very concerned about happiness.  The word “happy” is only found 25 times in the Bible. Most of those times it is used in connection with trusting God and obedience.  Here is what God considers more important than happiness:  Love, peace, joy, patience, faith, temperance, and holiness.

Instead of seeking to be happy, try seeking to be holy, and happiness will follow. “Yea, happy is that people, whose God is the LORD” (Ps. 144:15).