The Problem of Happiness, Part 4

    In my last post, I explored the dynamics of our perpetual quests for lasting happiness. Accordingly, I wrote about the discouragements we all face in the happiness-seeking cycles of our lives, and I also expressed how elusive happiness can be to both find and maintain. Finally, I wrote that all these frustrating happiness-seeking cycles can eventually lead us into a disappointing darkness; yet, ironically, such an unpleasant destination might just cause us to shift our happiness-hungry hearts and minds toward vertical, heavenly realities.
   In the book of John, chapter 17, Jesus' high priestly prayer to His Heavenly Father repeatedly infers that Jesus perceives the cosmos as having two, overlapping, co-existing realms: a heavenly, invisible realm and an earthly, visible one (e.g. Jn 17:7-8 cf. Gen 1:1; Col 1:15-16). In fact, within this prayer, Jesus discloses that He has been sent to earth on a heavenly mission that is ultimately aimed at reconciling and reuniting these two alienated realms (Jn 17:4 cf. Mt 28:18; Col 1:20; Eph 1:10; Rev 21:1-2).
   Accordingly, maintaining a firm, fixed conviction of this two-realm view of the cosmos is vital, as many people (even professing Christians) live as though there is but one earthly, visible realm; multitudes of people live as though the only world that truly exists is the one they can perceive with their five bodily senses. However, per the Scriptures, this is what the "fool" (in contrast to the wise) says in his heart (Ps 14:1), even if he's not a card-carrying atheist.
   And, unfortunately, this is precisely where many of us lose our spiritual way. In reality, our "faith" is rooted in our own, uninformed, spiritual blurriness (even if we highly respect the Bible), and our happiness-hungry hearts and minds are myopic, primarily focusing on earthly realities and priorities. So, whether we are blind (unbelieving) or nearsighted (believing), per the Scriptures, we would do well to re-consider our worldviews and re-align our priorities (Jn 5:39-40).
   In addition, if we only perceive the world corporeally, via our five senses, in reality, we are also maintaining a worldview that is perilously inadequate and incomplete (cf. Rom 1:18, 19-20; 1 Tim 1:17; Heb 11:27). And, perhaps most tragically, we are snubbing cosmic truths that are connected to a divine joy that we all desperately need, a heavenly joy that is indispensably connected to ultimate human blessedness and bliss (Jn 17:13).

Note: This post is one in a series of posts entitled, "The Problem of Happiness." Sometime soon I'll post another installment, so be sure to come back and finish reading the series. On Sunday evenings, as part of the ministry of Park Woods Presbyterian Church, I'm currently leading a Bible-study/Fellowship on this topic. These weekly Bible studies are an even deeper look at The Problem of Happiness, so if you are interested in a fuller treatment of this subject, access the more elaborate study notes here: comprehensive "Problem of Happiness" study notes.

The Problem of Happiness, Part 3

 

     Blaise Pascal, the sixteenth-century Christian philosopher, penned some thought-provoking words regarding our incessant, insatiable appetite for happiness. He wrote:

“All men seek happiness. This is without exception. Whatever different means they employ, they all tend to this end. The cause of some going to war, and of others avoiding it, is the same desire in both, attended with different views. The will never takes the least step but to this object. This is the motive of every action of every man, even of those who hang themselves.”

   Indeed, these undeniable, self-evident truths ever and always ring true (God's truths, of course, revealed and observed in the light of nature). If you track down any human being, at any given time, and inquire into what is on his or her mind, you'll find someone who is in pursuit of greater happiness. And, of course, such a pursuit, in and of itself, is absolutely legitimate.  
   The only problem with this (and it's a big one) is that these quests for increased happiness frequently frustrate us (probably more often than not). And, if we're brutally honest, we'll concede that our individual lives, in reality, reflect an incessant, repetitious history of happiness-seeking cycles, many of which, over time, have proven rather disappointing. 
   Moreover, even when we do get a grip on some happiness in our lives, maintaining it often proves more elusive than initially hunting it down. Accordingly, on those rare occasions when our grandiose plans for happiness are finally realized, we may still find ourselves feeling empty inside, thinking and feeling things like, "there's got to be more to life than these evaporating spots of fleeting joy."
    Nevertheless, over and over and over again, we tenaciously chase down promising life-plans aimed at maximizing our happiness. Then, of course, time marches on, so days turn into weeks, weeks into months, months into years, and years into decades. And then, in retrospect, we eventually come to realize that many of our happiness-seeking cycles sadly betray that, unwise, in and of ourselves, we really aren't very competent at determining which life-map will reliably lead us to lasting happiness. 
   Yet, ironically, this is often when we're closest to finding the elusive peace of mind we've been earnestly looking for all along. Desperate, we may finally begin to ask ourselves some crucial, life-altering, spiritual questions: "Has God revealed anything about these futile, happiness-seeking cycles in life?" "What is God's plan for ultimate human bliss and blessedness?" "How do I begin pursuing God's wise will in my endless search for lasting happiness?" And, in summary, one good way to begin answering such questions is to heed God's voice via the collective wisdom He has revealed in these Biblical passages (Prov 2:1-5; 3:5-8; 3:13-18 cf. Jas 1:5).
   Finally, if you're truly ready for a new start, I have some very good news for you. You're not the only one who has ever felt that happiness seems impossibly elusive. By God's grace, King Solomon, an exceptionally wise man (1 Kings 3:12; 4:29-31) felt this way too. In fact, he wrote extensively about all of it in the Biblical book of Ecclesiastes (Eccl 1:1-12:14). Take some time to read it, and make sure you pay particular attention to its concluding words (Eccl 12:13-14). In addition, also give some serious thought to these wise words (Mt 13:44, 45-46), as they were spoken by Jesus, the King of Kings, whose Divine wisdom exceeds even the wisdom of King Solomon (Lk 11:31; 1 Cor 1:30). When properly understood, in a context of grace (Eph 2:8-10), these three concise passages (Eccl 12:13-14 and Mt 13:44, 45-46) have much in common: They all teach us to primarily shift our happiness-hungry hearts and minds toward heavenly realities and treasures.  

Note: This post is one in a series of posts entitled, "The Problem of Happiness." Sometime soon I'll post another installment, so be sure to come back and finish reading the series. On Sunday evenings, as part of the ministry of Park Woods Presbyterian Church, I'm currently leading a Bible-study/Fellowship on this topic. These weekly Bible studies are an even deeper look at The Problem of Happiness, so if you are interested in a fuller treatment of this subject, access the more elaborate study notes here: comprehensive "Problem of Happiness" study notes.

The Problem of Happiness, Part 2

   As Americans, from womb to tomb, we are ever encompassed by and bombarded with the value dynamics set forth in the Declaration of Independence: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."
   Moreover, what complicates things all the more these days is that these sacred, American words are most commonly viewed through a relative, postmodern lens. So, in a nutshell, this means that they are up for private, arbitrary interpretation, apart from any ultimate principles or sources.
   Accordingly, during the last several decades, our culture has increasingly embraced postmodern values, and such has led to an observable shift in the typical pursuit of happiness in America. When it comes to the pursuit of happiness, as a people, generally speaking, Americans now tend to look more within (subjectively) and less without (objectively) for an answer to their moment-by-moment problems with happiness. Sadly, often this is even true of conservative, church-going Christians, people who usually appreciate ultimate principles and sources.

   Consequently, as a serious student of the Scriptures, I want to offer my readers another perspective on the problem of happiness. Accordingly, these posts will be rooted in the ultimate propositions of the light of Scripture, the king of truth (2 Tim 3:16; 2 Pet 1:20-21), as well as the light of nature, the queen of truth (Rom 1:20). 

    Finally, I want to address the reason why I've titled these posts, "The Problem of Happiness." This is a play on words from the philosophical world. In the philosophical world, the "problem of evil" is an argument that points to the existence of evil in the world as proof that God does not exist. Moreover, the "problem of pain" is also presented similarly, as yet another philosophical argument against God's existence. Such philosophical views often maintain that the realities of evil and pain in the world cannot possibly be reconciled with the Bible's truths of a good, merciful God who is also omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent. Similarly, the "problem of happiness," as I define it, is perhaps best captured by this question: If God truly exists, why would He hard-wire human beings to pursue happiness with every breath they take, and then make it seemingly impossible for them to find it and keep it?

    In conclusion, as a foretaste, I want you to consider something that I believe lies at the heart of unraveling such a complicated, philosophical question. Strangely and counterintuitively, in the Scriptures, it is the cross of Christ, in all of its immeasurable depth, meaning, and beauty, that offers the most satisfying answer to the pressing problem of happiness, much like it also provides the most satisfying answer to the knotty problems of evil and pain.                

Note: This post is one in a series of posts entitled, "The Problem of Happiness." Sometime soon I'll post another installment, so be sure to come back and finish reading the series. On Sunday evenings, as part of the ministry of Park Woods Presbyterian Church, I'm currently leading a Bible-study/Fellowship on this topic. These weekly Bible studies are an even deeper look at The Problem of Happiness, so if you are interested in a fuller treatment of this subject, access the more elaborate study notes here: comprehensive "Problem of Happiness" study notes.

The Problem of Happiness, Part 1

   On the one hand, the urgent pursuit of happiness is an intrinsic and irresistible appetite encoded in our DNA as human beings. On the other hand, left to ourselves, we have considerable problems both finding happiness and keeping it. In a nutshell, this is the tension at the heart of the problem of happiness.
   Consequently, we need a life-map to happiness from a Source of wisdom higher than ourselves (Ps 119:105). Otherwise, we may end up like Alice, of Alice in Wonderland fame: thoughtless, directionless, and on the road to nowhere. Even the most intelligent among us gets lost, and no human being is equal to the task of definitively solving the problem of happiness.

Note: This post is one in a series of posts entitled, "The Problem of Happiness." Sometime soon I'll post another installment, so be sure to come back and finish reading the series. On Sunday evenings, as part of the ministry of Park Woods Presbyterian Church, I'm currently leading a Bible-study/Fellowship on this topic. These weekly Bible studies are an even deeper look at The Problem of Happiness, so if you are interested in a fuller treatment of this subject, access the more elaborate study notes here: comprehensive "Problem of Happiness" study notes.  

Intra-Trinitarian Love, the Church's Relational Model and Empowering Source

If God was unipersonal (one person), there would have been no love until he created the angels and human beings. However, if the world was created by a triune, tripersonal God, then relationships of love are what life is all about, defining God Himself and ultimate reality. Hence, God is not merely a participate in loving relationships; loving relationships are an intrinsic part of His eternal being. And, this intra-Trinitarian love is both the relational model and empowering source of love in the church. (Link to: Lesson Audio & Notes)

Heaven & Earth & Me

   This short video is an excellent summary of God's plans and purposes related to the cosmos. In American Christianity, this big picture perspective is, more often than not, found wanting.
   Accordingly, while it may be important for an individual believer to explore what God is doing within his or her personal life (e.g. within an individual believer's personal justification and sanctification), it is equally important for a Christian to explore what God is doing without, in re-creating heaven and earth (Mt 28:18; Col 1:20; Eph 1:10). Otherwise, a believer may become inadvertently stuck in a reductionistic model of Christianity that eventually proves lacking. And, unfortunately, such a believer's growth in future hope, a critical impetus in Biblical sanctification (1 Jn 3:2-3; Tit 2:11-14; 1 Pet 1:13-17), will remain anemic and underdeveloped.
   Finally, the "regeneration" that the Scriptures refer to involves both created/re-created believers (Tit 3:5) and the created/re-created cosmos (Mt 19:28). The same Greek word, "paliggenesia" ("regeneration"), is used in both of these passages (note: it is translated "new world" in the latter). And, essentially, it describes a spiritual rebirth or renovation, a Messianic restoration. In other words, individual believers, as a resurrected and glorified people, in a "a new heaven and a new earth" (Rev 21:1-3).     
   

Link: Heaven and Earth

     

Running on Empty

   Unlike many conservative Christians, I don't believe the Bible is the only source of God's truth when it comes to counseling troubled people (click here for a concise summary of what I believe: True Counseling). Consequently, I also (very discreetly) read secular authors to gain maximum wisdom and insight.
   Since I first read Daniel Goleman's book, Emotional Intelligence (around 1996), I've continued to be interested in this subject. In fact, this book has proven to be one of the most important books I've ever read. In its day, this book was "groundbreaking," and it continues to significantly influence the psychological profession. Per this book, Emotional Intelligence consists of five essential skills: knowing one’s emotions, managing emotions, motivating oneself, recognizing emotions in others, and handling relationships.

     Moreover, this past week, I finished reading the book, Running on Empty, by Dr. Jonice Webb. This book builds on Goleman's work in Emotional Intelligence, and it's, in a word, extraordinary. Within the psychological community, this author's insights are considered a rare breakthrough. In a nutshell, the book deals with the often undetected invisibility of Childhood Emotional Neglect (CEN). Here's a brief quote from the book that helps to introduce and define CEN:

"There is a good explanation for why Emotional Neglect has been so overlooked. It hides. It dwells in the sins of omission, rather than commission; it’s the white space in the family picture rather than the picture itself. It’s often what was NOT said or observed or remembered from childhood, rather than what WAS said."

If you're interested in further details, below are some links that will introduce you to Dr. Jonice Webb and her book, Running on Empty:
1) Dr. Jonice Webb PhD, (questionnaire/book)

2) CEN, Defined, Video #1 (length = 3:51)

3) CEN, Effects, Video #2 (length = 5:08)

4) CEN, Parenting, Video #3 (length = 5:33)

5) CEN, Abuse and Neglect, Video #4 (length = 4:32)

6) CEN, Author's Professional Discoveries, Video #5 (length = 3:46)

7) CEN, Author Interviewed, Video #6 (length = 24:35, note: interview begins @ 15:45)

8) CEN, Author Interviewed, Video #7 (length = 54:22, note: interview begins @ 1:38)

9) Best Price I Found on the Book, "Running on Empty"

The Power of Empathy

   This short, animated video helps illuminate the difference between an empathetic and sympathetic response to another person's angst. And, this is significant, because understanding this difference will often determine whether we aggravate or alleviate another person's pain. Empathy is more other-centered; sympathy is often self-centered. Hence, truly empathizing involves exiting and suspending one's own orbit of thoughts and feelings with a view to entering and dwelling within another person's orbit of perceptions and emotions (which is, by the way, a privileged entry into a very guarded, sacred place).
   Moreover, such patient listening should never be considered equal to acquiescing with the relativism of our day, wherein even legitimate, Biblical judging is strictly taboo. The patient (Scriptural) listener simply suspends judgment, understanding that it is God-like to lovingly enter into messy, human needs that are commonly buried under ugly, human sins (Rom 5:8).
   All that said, empathy isn't an easy gift to give, as, by nature, we are not other-centered, we are self-centered. Of course, Jesus Christ, in His incarnation, epitomized such self-forgetting love, so he is the ultimate model for His disciples to follow (Phil 2:3-8; Jn 13:34; Gal 6:1-2). Consequently, it seems to me that empathy should be the first gift we give to anyone we love that suffers, even if his or her unhealthy thinking and living needs some obvious re-alignment.

Link: The Power of Empathy

      

The Man, the Boy, and the Donkey (Aesop)

A Man and his son were once going with their donkey to market. As they were walking along by its side a countryman passed them and said: "You fools, what is a Donkey for but to ride upon?"

 

So the Man put the Boy on the Donkey and they went on their way. But soon they passed a group of men, one of whom said: "See that lazy youngster, he lets his father walk while he rides."

So the Man ordered his Boy to get off, and got on himself. But they hadn't gone far when they passed two women, one of whom said to the other: "Shame on that lazy lout to let his poor little son trudge along."

Well the Man didn't know what to do, but at last he took his Boy up before him on the Donkey. By this time they had come to the town, and the passers-by began to jeer and point at them. The Man stopped and asked what they were scoffing at. The men said: "Aren't you ashamed of yourself for overloading that poor Donkey of yours--you and your hulking son?"

The Man and Boy got off and tried to think what to do. They thought and they thought, till at last they cut down a pole, tied the Donkey's feet to it, and raised the pole and the Donkey to their shoulders.

Then they went along amid the laughter of all who met them till they came to Market Bridge, when the Donkey, getting one of his feet loose, kicked out and caused the Boy to drop his end of the pole. In the struggle the Donkey fell over the bridge, and his fore-feet being tied together he was drowned.

"That will teach you," said an old man who had followed them: "Please all and you will please none."

When Greatness Meets Emptiness

What happens when good things become ultimate things? In the end, they starve, enslave, and divide us. Human emptiness is a God-shaped void, even in the lives of notorious people like Michael Jordan. And, unfortunately, the last place we usually go to solve our pressing problems is to God, via the Scriptures, in the person of Jesus Christ. Bottom line, we would rather live in our disordered loves than seek real, satisfying answers. We are all worshipers, whether of good things, of ourselves, of evil impulses, or of God.

When Greatness Meets Emptiness--Michael Jordan at 50