We live in a world full of despair and sorrow. Mental illnesses are epidemic. Addictions are at an all-time high. Marriage and family breakdown is rampant, leading to deep pain and heartbreak. Financial stress leading to despair is extremely prevalent. Suicide is epidemic. This is all despite the world becoming more prosperous materially than it ever has been. One would think people would be happier, but instead, all around us is darkness, depression, and sorrow.
It is natural to think that one would be happy if one had all the comforts, securities, pleasures, and treasures of this world, but we know from experience at the very depths of the human heart that this does not and can never fully satisfy. There is always that even greater happiness we still seek that eludes us, despite having all such comforts, securities, pleasures, and treasures of the world.
Philosophers muse about what true happiness is and is not and build intellectual frameworks based on such understandings. Poets and singers express their grief and sadness over the loss of something, typically love, that they thought would give them happiness but have lost, through passionate, emotive lyrics. Psychologists and therapists counsel people on how to be happy and positive through various means and methods. All address questions for which the human heart cries out for answers. All questions relate to how to find not merely happiness, but complete and perfect happiness, a happiness that completely fulfills the yearning of the human heart.
The human heart is always asking, how can I become happier? Why am I still unhappy despite having everything I desire? How do I stop being so unhappy despite all the comforts and pleasures I have? Indeed, these are meaningful questions that are not only worth pondering, but warrant examining. The first question, however, is, what is happiness? That is the question. Without a right understanding of what happiness even is and is not, one cannot understand how to find happiness that is complete, eternal, and everlasting.
The Insufficient, Emptiness of Worldly Happiness
The happiness this world gives is elusive, incomplete, and temporal. Whenever one has obtained what one has perceived to give one happiness, a lingering sense of lack of that which can give us even greater happiness pervades, demonstrating the elusiveness of worldly happiness. There is always still that greater bit of happiness we seek despite already attaining what we perceived would give us happiness; that greater yearning of the human heart that seeks an even greater happiness, a yearning that no temporal, earthly thing, no matter how good, can satisfy, leading to much disappointment, frustration, pain, or even bitterness, anger, or despair, owing to the elusiveness of worldly happiness.
Worldly happiness is also incomplete. Despite the genuinely good things we may obtain, there is always that lingering sense that one could be even happier which causes us to doubt as to whether we have attained true happiness to the fullest, that lurks. This demonstrates that worldly happiness is incomplete. The human heart often ponders on the cost of the happiness one has attained, and the price that has been paid, causing it to be filled with discontentment or even despair, knowing that such happiness is incomplete.
This is often called the ‘happiness dilemma’ which is the dilemma concerning what one should forgo or trade off to achieve happiness, whether in the short-term or long-term. That the question is what one should forgo, not whether one should forgo anything, indicates the assumption that worldly happiness always comes at a price – one based on the bitter truth that worldly happiness is costly. Worldly happiness is always, inevitably, whether we want to admit it, tinged with the despair of knowing that it does not last, is incomplete, and always attained at a price.
Indeed, owing to finding happiness in things that only last for a season, that which is temporal, and not eternal, worldly happiness does come at cost. One often has to take a gamble as it were in forgoing one thing for another, at one’s own risk, full of uncertainty as to whether one will face the next loss of happiness or a great gain in happiness. Its temporality is such that one has to keep searching happiness for oneself from other sources of worldly happiness to keep one satisfied, but yet that happiness cannot satisfy completely. This is ironically the tragedy of pursuing worldly happiness.
After we have finally obtained what we have longed for and experience a large dose of happiness, happiness levels return to normal when business resumes as usual in the humdrum of everyday life. For example, a person may go on a holiday and experience an emotional high, filled with elation while on holiday, and having the best time of one’s life (or so one thinks). But after returning from the holiday, happiness levels return to the same levels as before.
What so many do not realise, including even many church-going Christians, is that worldly happiness is not true happiness. Even many in the church are still seeking happiness in all kinds of temporal, earthly things, such as wealth, possessions, marriage and family, status, and power. Their hearts still think it will give them happiness, though their minds may know it does not bring everlasting happiness, but still pursue such because they have no sound instruction about how to seek God.
Many Christians are caught up in pursuing the comforts, security, pleasures, and treasures of this world because they lack knowledge and spiritual wisdom, as well as faith in God. Their lack of faith leads them to pursue that which is seen and not that which is unseen. The scriptures, however, exhort that we ‘live by faith, not by sight’ (2 Corinthians 5:7).
The Prodigal Son and his Pursuit of Worldly Happiness
Most believers, despite being true converts, have drifted or will drift from God at some point during their spiritual journey, like the prodigal son whom Jesus spoke about (Luke 15:11-32) who rejected his father’s inheritance and instead sought what he thought to be the better life in the world, ‘[taking] a journey into a far country, and there [squandering] his property in reckless living’ (Luke 15:13).
They may believe in God and wholeheartedly affirm all the fundamental tenets of the Christian faith, but their hearts are still not close to God. Some may be confused or even have doubt about the tenets of the Faith and not be regularly attending church, but nevertheless profess themselves to be believers. These people are in no way anti-Christian and open to the things of God, professing belief in Christ, but are drifting from God and living a worldly life, weighed down by all manner of worldly, earthly concerns.
God allows so many believers to drift and pursue the things of the world to show them that the things of the world can never truly satisfy the heart, and that no joy can be found therein. This is no cliché, or riposte to some worldly philosophical argument that the things of the world can satisfy; it is the undeniable truth one can know from experience after pursing worldly happiness that it does not and cannot satisfy.
He may and often does allow them to drift from Him for a long period of time to let them experience the pain and sorrow that results from seeking the things of this world. Saint Paul spoke about the bitter fruits reaped by those who seek the things this world offers, not merely money specifically, but all that which is valued in this world, as that which gives happiness:
But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs [or sorrows].
(1 Timothy 6:9-10)
Likewise, the prodigal son, pierced himself with many sorrows as a result of his prodigal living, in seeking the riches of this world, and the comforts, security, pleasures, and treasures that come with it:
And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything.
(Luke 15:14-16)
While most professing Christians will not squander money on prostitutes, they nevertheless live a life that is far from pleasing to God, and sometimes even fall into gross sin, as a result of being so far from God, chasing the riches of this world, and resorting to ungodly means to succeed financially. This is spiritual adultery, which is to be friends with the world, and at enmity with God, for as Saint James exhorts: “You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God” (James 4:4).
At this point in the parable, the prodigal son is pierced by the multitude of sorrows of chasing worldly riches, and worldly happiness, that he finally cries out to God and returns to Him, realising his utter foolishness:
But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.”’ And he arose and came to his father.
(Luke 15:17-20)
The father of the prodigal son was only overjoyed to see his return:
But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate.
(Luke 15:20-24)
Likewise, the Heavenly Father is overjoyed to see our return to Him, both of lost sheep and wandering sheep, that is, drifting believers when they return to Him. A true convert will return to the faith, for as the scriptures declare, ‘And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ’ (Philippians 1:6). It is only a matter of time that a true convert will return to the faith, albeit after enduring much suffering and sorrow which God allows, to show him that the riches of this world will never bring true happiness, or joy, which the human heart so yearns for.
The Completeness and Perfection of Heavenly Joy
Why does the human heart yearn for joy? It yearns for joy because God created us for joy in communion with Him. God created the world perfect and complete, creating everything in the universe, from the light to the animals, to the plants, and humankind as ‘good’ (Genesis 1:4, 10, 18, 25, 31; 2:18). All of Creation testifies that God is the Creator of the Universe. All created beings, except for fallen humankind and the fallen angels recognise that God is their Creator and that they must depend on Him every moment.
All the Creation including humankind was created for His glory: ‘For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him’ (Colossians 1:16). God created Adam and Eve, the first two created humans who represent all of humankind, to have perfect and complete communion with Him. It is only in this communion with God that humankind finds true joy. Nothing else can give such joy. As Saint Augustine wrote in Confessions, “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless unless they rest in You.”
God is good and all that He creates could only be good, not bad. What is good? Good is that which is ordered towards the glory and splendour of God. Joy is God’s will for humankind to receive and experience to the fullest, in accordance with the order of His Creation. These are innate goods, rather than things that God created as good but which are merely means, not ends, to glorifying God, that is, ordered goods, such as friendship, marriage, family, and work.
Unlike these ordered goods, joy is a fruit of the Spirit, and cannot be corrupted or marred by the effects of sin in a fallen world. There is no sorrow, pain, anger, or loss where there is true heavenly joy. Joy cannot co-exist with sorrow. God did not create humankind to experience negative emotions such as misery, anxiety, and sorrow. Such emotions are not of God nor from God, but the manifestation of living in a fallen world marred by sin and ridden with pain and sorrow.
Whoever finds true joy in God is truly blessed because that is what we were ultimately made for, both in this life and in the eternal life to come. To live a life filled with true joy on earth is not merely a foreshadowing of eternal life in Heaven; it is itself a taste of Heaven and the life eternal. God created us for joy in Him, not just peace in Him. Unlike earthly happiness that is elusive, incomplete, and temporal, heavenly joy is ever present, complete, and everlasting. It is the perfect joy that fulfills completely, which absolutely nothing else can.
Heavenly joy is ever present. It is unlike earthly happiness, which is right there before us but as soon as we attain it, it escapes, being so close yet so far. Instead, heavenly joy lies within the heart and gives a sense of peace that is beyond all human understanding.
Despite life’s storms, a heart full of heavenly joy is still filled with a deep sense of joy, and a sense of peace that results from knowing that one’s joy is found in being in communion with God. It uplifts one heavenwards, causing one’s heart to sing the praises of Heaven, and be bursting with life, in spite of one’s dire earthly circumstances. It fills one’s heart with a joy that goes beyond mere contentment. It is impossible to be discontent when one is filled with heavenly joy.
It gives one the strength to overcome all the afflictions, suffering, and tribulations that one faces in this world, for ‘the joy of the Lord is my strength’ (Nehemiah 8:10). Such strength empowers a person to not only be freed from the weight of sorrow by removing all manner sorrow from the heart, but invigorates one with hope that the will of God will be fulfilled and that ‘for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose’ (Romans 8:28). It gives one hope in God’s promises, not only in Heaven, but also His promises He has specifically for one in this earthly life too.
Heavenly joy is complete. Unlike earthly happiness, heavenly joy is complete. It fulfils to the greatest satisfaction of the heart precisely because the human heart was designed for living in the joy of God. It does not depend in any way on ever-changing earthly circumstances, in being completely unaffected by the vicissitudes of life, but rather on knowing that God is good and that His good promises will be fulfilled both in this life and the life eternal.
No anxieties or sorrow can exist alongside heavenly joy which is untainted by such because it can never be taken away by any earthly affliction, pain, or suffering as such joy is in itself complete. It is the manifestation of the nature of God Himself who designed us to find joy through being in communion with Him and Him alone, as the ultimate end of humankind. All ordered goods He created which are earthly and temporal, are merely means to be ordered towards this end, and not ends in themselves. This is why such goods do not and can never give one complete happiness.
Finally, heavenly joy is eternal. It is eternal because such joy comes from God and God is eternal. That itself is what makes heavenly joy eternal because it wholly rests on being in communion with God who is Eternal, ‘the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End’ (Revelation 21:6). Nothing else, no earthly temporal good, can fulfil the human heart eternally, be it friendship, marriage, family, work, or vocation, precisely because such things, though created by God as good, were never intended or designed by God to be eternal. These are merely reflections of the nature of God’s goodness, and not the ends or ultimate purpose of humankind itself. Seeking joy in such things in themselves is the disordered use of these ordered goods and leads only to a temporal happiness that can never fulfil completely or perfectly. Such only leads to discontentment, disappointment, despair, and depression.
Finding Heavenly Joy
Everyone desires happiness, and true happiness, is heavenly joy. No true happiness can be found in the pursuit of any earthly temporal thing, even good things. Such happiness is elusive, incomplete, and temporal. It may fulfill for a while and even give much pleasure, but such will all fade away quickly, in the blink of an eye. Even then, any real fulfillment that one experiences from worldly happiness is incomplete. Worldly happiness does not and can never deliver on finding the complete and perfect fulfillment that the human heart so longs for.
The only way to find true happiness is to pursue God first above all things. If you have not repented before God and believed upon the Lord Jesus Christ, that is the first step to eternal life, and therefore eternal joy. Align your will for your life with God’s will for your life, and your desires with God’s desires for you. Seek out His will in all things. Let God choose. Surrender your life, your whole self completely to God, knowing that His plans for you are not just good, but excellent, and the absolute best:
Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make straight your paths.
(Proverbs 3:5-6)
Know that His plans for you are far better than any plan you can devise for yourself. As it is written in the scriptures: ‘For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope’ (Jeremiah 29:11). Know that God is for you, not against you:
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?
(Romans 8:31-32)
Finally, heed the words of King Solomon, the wisest person who has ever lived:
The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.
(Ecclesiastes 12:13)
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