How does Christianity make you happy?

I find happiness in Christianity mostly through the Holy Spirit's tangible presence within me, and in fellowship with other believers. Also through exercising the spiritual gift He has given me in His service.

Hmmm! said:

The question is fairly self-explanatory I think.

You can argue that everything we do is because we're happier doing it than any of the other options that were available to us at the time. So when you choose to do something it's our preferred choice even though it may cause you a great cost. Like if you resign from your job in a matter of principle. It's not ideally what you wanted to do and you're not happy to now be unemployed but if the decision allowed you to keep your principles then you were "happier" doing that than staying on and betraying them.

So, there are lots of different kinds of happiness, from the complex happiness of doing the right thing to a more simple smiley feeling. So I wondered what kind of happiness you get from your faith?

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Happiness is shallow and fleeting, and depends on circumstances. Christians have joy as part of the fruit of the Spirit. This is not dependent on circumstances. It instead depends on having the right attitude. For example, we can always rejoice in the Lord even when our environment is not to our liking. That deep down inner joy gives us strength.

"Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. If you know these things, happy are you if you do them." -John 13:16-17)

This goes not only for the example Jesus gave when He washed the disciples feet but all the other commandments too.

"In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome,"
(1 John 5:3)

Hmmm! said:

The question is fairly self-explanatory I think.

You can argue that everything we do is because we're happier doing it than any of the other options that were available to us at the time. So when you choose to do something it's our preferred choice even though it may cause you a great cost. Like if you resign from your job in a matter of principle. It's not ideally what you wanted to do and you're not happy to now be unemployed but if the decision allowed you to keep your principles then you were "happier" doing that than staying on and betraying them.

So, there are lots of different kinds of happiness, from the complex happiness of doing the right thing to a more simple smiley feeling. So I wondered what kind of happiness you get from your faith?

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It never brought happiness. But it brought something far greater... joy. Even when I sorrow I have joy. Happiness ends and it needs fuel, it comes and goes. Joy is something far greater than sorrows and pains and it never ends.

Hmmm! said:

The question is fairly self-explanatory I think.

You can argue that everything we do is because we're happier doing it than any of the other options that were available to us at the time. So when you choose to do something it's our preferred choice even though it may cause you a great cost. Like if you resign from your job in a matter of principle. It's not ideally what you wanted to do and you're not happy to now be unemployed but if the decision allowed you to keep your principles then you were "happier" doing that than staying on and betraying them.

So, there are lots of different kinds of happiness, from the complex happiness of doing the right thing to a more simple smiley feeling. So I wondered what kind of happiness you get from your faith?

Click to expand...

Believers have access to rest for their souls, peace that passes understanding, peace and joy in believing, and joy in the Holy Ghost.

Hmmm! said:

I've not heard of Rube Goldberg but certainly the materialist viewpoint is a bleak and essentially meaningless one. Just in case anyone doesn't know what materialiam is, it's a world view that says that everything is ultimately reducible to matter or, a softer version, that everything ultimately emerges from matter in some way, but in either case matter is the most accurate explanation of a phenomena. So for example the most accurate description of a mental event is the behaviour of the braib neurona etc. We have a brain really, not a mind.

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Materialism and naturalistic atheism go together.

For example, the theory of evolution is a philosophy of materialistic and atheistic naturalism, and not science.

Hmmm! said:

So, there are lots of different kinds of happiness, from the complex happiness of doing the right thing to a more simple smiley feeling. So I wondered what kind of happiness you get from your faith?

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I get a lot out of it.

1) I believe Christian theology, if rightfully understood gives you access to Truth in general. And by that, I mean that it not only talks about all the traditional stuff we think of concerning Salvation etc. but it also encompasses all the lesser "truths" as far as "self help", psychology and philosophy goes. So I believe their are some Biblical basis for some things that people find cool and helpful in not just other philosophy but sometimes even other religions as well, but what Christianity gives you in that case is a kind of Grand Unifying theory or in this case a Grand Unifying Theology.


2) Their is a lot of stuff in Greek Philosophy of Stoicism and Platonism about not investing your happiness in the things of the World that come and go, and this obviously has direct parallels with stuff Jesus and other figures have said in the Bible. The nice thing though, is sometimes you get some "hands on" ways of handling things like "not worrying" etc.


3) Likewise there are lots of helpful things in some of far eastern philosophies like Taoism and Zen about the importance of living in the moment, which likewise represent Biblical truth, and likewise you sometimes get helpful advise on handling the specifics of that kind of thing.


4) I actually think the Stoic emphasis on living rightly is especially helpful. In my own life, I have often despaired because I had failed, not accomplished what I sought etc. But the one thing we have really nearly in complete control is our own behavior, our own beliefs, and even what we choose to think moment by moment (if we are willing to exercise control of that). And with all these things comes some aspect of a legacy. We can find satisfaction in life if we have tried our best our best to live up to our ideals and values. And this sort of a belief, fits in really well with Christianity especially if you read Paul in the Epistles.



Besides this there are other things that give me joy and happiness

A) From Orthodoxy and ancient Christianity I believe there is a spirituality from things like Christian sacred art, and the beauty of worship.



B) After coming from the Charismatic movement and having my own mystical experiences of God, I believe that we can have a direct experience of God that is truly life changing, significant etc.


C) We also need to come to appreciate the nature of Jesus who "makes all things New", and will restore us or renew us in our proper time. If not in this life, in the life to come.

OK will add one more. There is a lot in psychology about the ability to see things realistically as far as your individual happiness goes in the long term. When you don't do that there are words like "being in Denial" etc. and this sort of thing also fits in well with not just ancient philosophy but Biblical concepts of Truth in both the Greek and Hebrew languages. The Greek word Alethia especially represents having an objective view of reality etc. While the Hebrew word Emeth is about truth in terms of relationships etc. in general what is true is something that should lead to things like wholeness, peace, strength and health (what we get from the truth in the long term).

Hmmm! said:

The question is fairly self-explanatory I think.

You can argue that everything we do is because we're happier doing it than any of the other options that were available to us at the time. So when you choose to do something it's our preferred choice even though it may cause you a great cost. Like if you resign from your job in a matter of principle. It's not ideally what you wanted to do and you're not happy to now be unemployed but if the decision allowed you to keep your principles then you were "happier" doing that than staying on and betraying them.

So, there are lots of different kinds of happiness, from the complex happiness of doing the right thing to a more simple smiley feeling. So I wondered what kind of happiness you get from your faith?

Click to expand...

Having an explanation for the reason I exist, this means everything to me. Now I know who I am and what I am supposed to be doing in life.

Before I became a Christian I had a dreadful emptiness inside. Life was meaningless and was far too short anyway. What was the point of life when you die at the end. Life without Jesus was meaningless.

You don't realize how many sad faces I see when I'm out, and especially the older folk. Most don't realize how futile life is until they get very old.

Hmmm! said:

The question is fairly self-explanatory I think.

You can argue that everything we do is because we're happier doing it than any of the other options that were available to us at the time. So when you choose to do something it's our preferred choice even though it may cause you a great cost. Like if you resign from your job in a matter of principle. It's not ideally what you wanted to do and you're not happy to now be unemployed but if the decision allowed you to keep your principles then you were "happier" doing that than staying on and betraying them.

So, there are lots of different kinds of happiness, from the complex happiness of doing the right thing to a more simple smiley feeling. So I wondered what kind of happiness you get from your faith?

Click to expand...

Being a Christian gives me the most complex amount of feelings. I can feel love, joy and thankfulness thinking of Christ and his love for us. I can feel sorrow thinking about those in the world that don't know Christ. Sometimes I feel confusion about all the "why's and how's".

Christianity makes me happy since it gives the solution to evil. Christ conquered all evil, even we don't yet fully see it. It makes me happy, to think of this when life gets hard or when I read about all the terror in the world.

"For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." (John 3:17)

I think the most beautiful thing is hindsight. You might not understand in the moment when you're in prayer trying to rebuild a broken life, but when you look back three, four, maybe five years later, you realise that you're living the life you asked for.

That's the only time you'll ever need to look back - when you're in the present moment celebrating a victory and reflecting back to harder times. (That is SWEET - I can tell you.)

Seriously, life is good. I never understood this "wait around until we transcend" idea. No, no, get out there and LIVE! Make mistakes, learn from those mistakes, get better, smarter, wiser, love more, get into nature, find a passion, ask questions, become the very best version of yourself that you can possibly be, and give it all your best shot. Because God wouldn't put us here for no reason.

In a nutshell, it's the piecing together and figuring out that makes ME happy. I might not always be happy, but then I'd be a fool to say I was.

Having Jesus as my companion is what makes me happy.

Not happiness, per say. Joy isn't the same as happiness. Confidence in God brings lasting joy.

Hmmm! said:

The question is fairly self-explanatory I think.

You can argue that everything we do is because we're happier doing it than any of the other options that were available to us at the time. So when you choose to do something it's our preferred choice even though it may cause you a great cost. Like if you resign from your job in a matter of principle. It's not ideally what you wanted to do and you're not happy to now be unemployed but if the decision allowed you to keep your principles then you were "happier" doing that than staying on and betraying them.

So, there are lots of different kinds of happiness, from the complex happiness of doing the right thing to a more simple smiley feeling. So I wondered what kind of happiness you get from your faith?

Click to expand...

Hmmm! said:

...So I wondered what kind of happiness you get from your faith?

Click to expand...

The words of Jesus make me happy. I like the idea that truth and love will win in the end.

Hmmm! said:

The question is fairly self-explanatory I think.

You can argue that everything we do is because we're happier doing it than any of the other options that were available to us at the time. So when you choose to do something it's our preferred choice even though it may cause you a great cost. Like if you resign from your job in a matter of principle. It's not ideally what you wanted to do and you're not happy to now be unemployed but if the decision allowed you to keep your principles then you were "happier" doing that than staying on and betraying them.

So, there are lots of different kinds of happiness, from the complex happiness of doing the right thing to a more simple smiley feeling. So I wondered what kind of happiness you get from your faith?

Click to expand...

My faith doesn't make me happy. It makes me hopeful. And it gives me comfort knowing that no matter how sad this world makes me, there's a happy future ahead.

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Christianity makes me happy because the system if fair and just.