May all who are godly be happy… —Psalm 97:12 NLT96

Here are a few reasons why believing that God wants you happy above all else can cause you real problems as a Christ follower:

1. I begin believing that whatever makes me happy must be

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   . Whatever makes me unhappy must be
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   .

2. I start to believe that discomfort, delay, risk, suffering, inconveniences, and obstacles can’t possibly be

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   will.

3. Without knowing it, I begin to

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   the false gods of comfort, money, pleasure, and things.

There are specific instances where God does NOT want you be happy:

1. God doesn’t want you happy when it causes you to do something
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   or
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   .

But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; —1 Peter 1:15 NIV

1. God doesn’t want you happy when it’s only based on the things of
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   .

Culture tells us this formula is true:
Better possessions + peaceful circumstances + thrilling experiences + the right relationships + the perfect appearance =

Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world - the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life - comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever. —1 John 2:15-17 NIV

makarios (mak-ar’-ee-os):
original Word: mακάριος
meaning: supremely blessed, more than happy

“And still He seeks the fellowship of His people and will send them both joy and sorrow to detach their hands from the things of this world. and to attach those hands to Himself.” —J.I. Packer

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. —James 1:2-4 ESV

Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. —Romans 5:3-5 ESV

May all who are godly be happy in the Lord and praise His holy name! —Psalm 97:12 NLT96