The Pursuit of Happiness

‘I only want my children to be happy’. This is a common statement made by parents, well intentioned and full of love. Yet most parents would say if they are happy there living a good life, a life of being and doing good – for their family and those around them. This is not necessarily the case. Bad people can be very happy.

Comics show us that the villains are usually ecstatically happy, the riddler, the joker etc… Yet the superheroes are tormented souls who are hardly ever happy. In the real world, our saints such as mother Theresa, Martin Luther King and Gandhi were all troubled souls. Many very rich and corrupt people are very happy. Why is it that bad people can be happy?? This doesn’t make fit with our natural sense of justice.

The reason this has happened is that we connect happiness with pleasure, and not with goodness. Obesity is a growing epidemic throughout the western world, not because we eat too much and don’t exercise. Its because we eat what gives us pleasure – what makes us happy! Sugar and fat taste much nicer then broccoli and tofu. We can all learn to like healthy foods, but it takes time, whereas the gratification of chocolate is instant. Exercise is far less appealing to kids then playing Xbox and Playstation. We have lost sight of the truth that says real happiness or Joy is usually the result of doing hard, but good things over and over. Whether this is exercise, healthy diet, reading our bible, praying or living a life of sacrificial Christianity, Joy will be the by product, and life will be far more satisfying because of it.

The pursuit of happiness is consider such an important ideal that the American declaration of Independence has given it special prominence. "Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness". These are considered in this document as absolute human rights. If happiness then is associated with pleasure then the pursuit of pleasure becomes very important. This is reflected by the fact that we can associate a good meal, a holiday and our footy team winning with our happiness. Conversely if we have a bad meal, can’t afford a vacation and our footy team is losing then we are unhappy.

More extremely the pursuit of happiness as pleasure is a key cause of addiction – whether that be alcohol, drugs, gambling or sex – the first encounter with these things can bring great pleasure, and subsequently people begin to ‘chase’ that pleasurable experience. Interestingly, our bodies are created to adapt, so the more pleasure we give ourselves, the less appreciative our brains become. Therefore addicts need more and more of the action which brings pleasure to reach the high they received originally. While it does a job, that same experience that is attained when first using is never reached again. Eventually, the brain needs the pleasure experience to feel normal, so the act of addiction becomes about the person just trying to feel normal.

Don’t get me wrong, pleasure is important for us to experience, but it becomes damaging when we associate our sense of wellbeing and happiness with the amount of pleasure we are receiving.

It is not just people who struggle with addictions that the distorted view of happiness affects – the consumer culture we live in thrives on orienting pleasure with happiness.

Consider this advert in the Westifeld shopping centre in Bondi ‘If it makes you happy, it’s a bargain…..Its not your fault you love everything, your just a positive person. In fact we have so many pro-purchasing customers at Westfield that we’ve created hands free shopping. You can now shop, shop, shop without carrying a single bag….

Our houses are bigger then ever, with less people living in them. Our children are wearing designer clothes before they can read, we spend more on pet products per year then the entire expenditure of Australia’s overseas aid. We have bought into this concept of pleasure as happiness.

Happiness in our culture is pleasure, and pleasure is inherently selfish. Joy is goodness and goodness transcends. Pleasure points us inwards, while joy points us to others and God.

So in an age where happiness is associated with pleasure, how can we find true Joy? Joy is not a state of being, but a vital activity. It is a feeling, but more importantly it is a transcended way of living – an action. Joy is not someone who comfortably enjoys the possessions they have, content with the riches, success or even the type of family we have. Joy is an activity where an individual with his heart, mind and soul is oriented towards something that is greater then ourselves. This is a life of self cultivation, of study and discipline.
The word Joy in its translation from the Greek in the bible has several derivatives. One of these is the word Blessed. There is an obvious passage of scripture that uses this word very frequently – the beatitudes:
Matthew 5:1-12 (New International Version)
1Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2and he began to teach them saying:
3"Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
5Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
6Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
7Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
8Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
9Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called sons of God.
10Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11"Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Taking a bit of writing and theological license I will now break down the beatitudes to reveal a sort of how-to guide for having Joy – remembering that Joy is an action not just a feeling:

Joy comes to those who side with, and give love and service to the marginalized, persecuted and outcast or our society.
Joy comes to those who can feel sadness for the tragedy and pain that strikes your neighbor and all humanity.
Joy comes to those who are restrained and calm, like a powerful horse who has been tamed, when adversity comes – confronting problems head on without resorting to anger or violence.
Joy comes to those who hate injustice and work towards bringing Gods justice to this world.
Joy comes to those who show grace and mercy to others who harm them.
Joy comes to those who only want good to come to everyone they meet, and strive to do good to everyone they can.
Joy comes to those who create – and reject the idea of inflicting war, violence and destruction – both through word and action on anyone.
Joy comes to those who are attacked but do not attack back because they love peace.
Joy comes to those who love God and follow Christ, despite the pressures of this world.

This life we live is so short. How we want to live it remains up to us. You see there’s a price to pay, literally for pursuing happiness as pleasure. To afford the things we need to keep us happy requires us to work long and hard, often neglecting family and friends, just so we can be happy. With this comes stress and worry. Jesus tells us to put this aside, not to worry about anything. We can only do this if we realize that our happiness, our joy, is centered on Christ and is a joy that is beyond pleasure – but is about goodness. Joy is a fruit of the Spirit, because it must be produced over time. But as all the fruit of the Spirit, once we have it – the transformation it brings is unmistakable.

Occasionally we have decisions that inform our lives, and how we decided where happiness comes from is one of these decisions. Will it come from pursuing pleasure or will it come from pursuing Goodness.