Happiness
2017 ECPA Christian Book Award Finalist (Christian Living category)
Christians are supposed to be happy. In fact, we are supposed to radiate joy, peace, and contentment that is so unmistakable and so attractive that others are naturally drawn to us because they want what we have. And yet, in today's culture, the vast majority of Christians are perceived as angry, judgmental people who don't seem to derive any joy from life whatsoever. So why aren't we happy?
Unfortunately, many Christians are taught early on that God doesn't want us to be happy (he wants us to be holy). In fact, many Christians are laboring under the false notion that God himself is not happy. But nothing could be further from the truth! God does want us to be happy. The Bible is filled with verses that prove that ours is a happy, joy-filled God who not only loves celebrations but also desperately wants his children to be happy. Why else would He go to the lengths He did to ensure our eternal happiness in His presence? We know that we will experience unimaginable joy and happiness in Heaven, but that doesn't mean we can't also experience joy and happiness here on earth.
In Happiness, noted theologian Randy Alcorn dispels centuries of misconceptions about happiness and provides indisputable proof that God not only wants us to be happy, He commands it. The most definitive study on the subject of happiness to date, this book is a paradigm-shifting wake-up call for the church and Christians everywhere.
Top Highlights
“A study indicates that children laugh an average of four hundred times daily, adults only fifteen.[3] So what happens between childhood and maturity that damages our capacity for happiness?” (source)
“In other words, the Fall didn’t generate the human longing for happiness —it derailed and misdirected it.” (source)
“Seeking happiness without God is like seeking water without wetness or sun without light. Since God himself is the happiness that overflows into his creation, every attempt to separate him from happiness is futile.” (source)
“Our message shouldn’t be ‘Don’t seek happiness,’ but ‘You’ll find in Jesus the happiness you’ve always longed for.’” (source)
“It’s not insensitive, unkind, or wrong to be happy. By being happy in Christ, we lay claim to the fact that God is bigger than the Fall and affirm that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will reverse the Curse and reign over a new universe. Our happiness shouts that our God is present with us and at work in the world every minute of every hour of every day. The narrower our view of God’s presence in this world —and in our daily lives —the less happiness we’ll experience.” (source)
Product Details
- Title : Happiness
- Author: Alcorn, Randy
- Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.
- Publication Date: 2015
- ISBN: 9781496403858