Does God want us to be happy (in this life)?

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Do you think God wants us to be happy in this life? I know he wants us to be happy with him forever in Heaven, but the value of happiness in life on earth seems harder to figure out.
On the one hand, we are told to rejoice in suffering. Many saints denied themselves consolations. St. Therese said that she denied herself consolations from early on in her life. Jesus did not promise us earthly happiness but instead told us to take up our crosses and follow him. Hebrews 12:8 says that if we “do not have that discipline [of trials] in which all children share, then you are illegitimate and not his children.” St. Alphonsus said that “it was a great misfortune to be free from suffering in this life…St. Francis of Assisi, on the day that he had suffered nothing for God, became afraid lest God had forgotten him” (The Practice of the Love of Jesus Christ). Self-denial and penance are praised again and again as ways to grow in holiness and love for God. It would seem, then, that the less happiness we have in this life, the better off we are.
On the other hand, Jesus also said that he came that we might have life, and have it to the full. He says, “I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.” As Pope, John Paul II went skiing, and he seemed to have a youthful joy even when his body was aging. We are also not to desire suffering for its own sake, because suffering itself is not good, although God works good out of it. Furthermore, Jesus instructs us to pray for deliverance from evil and temptation (which can also be translated as “lead us not into the time of trial”). For all the trials in my life, God has always given me moments of happiness, and I can’t see him providing for so much happiness in my life if he didn’t intend for me to be happy in this life. Even so, whenever anyone tells me, “God wants you to be happy,” it’s hard for me to believe.
 
There is an old saying, “When things go well we enjoy our faith, when things go badly, we practice our faith!” St Francis was joyful even when in pain. As a Secular Franciscan, I have studied his spirituality. His constant outlook of “Joy in the Lord” even under painful situations, seems to give direction in the quest for your answer. I would recommend that you continue to study Franciscan Theology.

plato3
 
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plato3:
There is an old saying, “When things go well we enjoy our faith, when things go badly, we practice our faith!” St Francis was joyful even when in pain. As a Secular Franciscan, I have studied his spirituality. His constant outlook of “Joy in the Lord” even under painful situations, seems to give direction in the quest for your answer. I would recommend that you continue to study Franciscan Theology.

plato3
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Does God want us to be Happy? I am sure “He does” I don’t know how exactly I have not figured that out. I don’t believe I ever will. All that I would have hoped for and dreamed about and prayed for in my life seems all backwards. Didn’t happen hasen’t happened. I doubt it will in this life time. I am not a happy person with my life. I have had happy moments like everyone else but, that is it. Maybe that is “it”
 
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dMaria:
Does God want us to be Happy? I am sure “He does” I don’t know how exactly I have not figured that out. I don’t believe I ever will. All that I would have hoped for and dreamed about and prayed for in my life seems all backwards. Didn’t happen hasen’t happened. I doubt it will in this life time. I am not a happy person with my life. I have had happy moments like everyone else but, that is it. Maybe that is “it”
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Of course He wants us to be happy. Happiness is our nature. We make ourselves unhappy by what we do, and our perception of things.

The secret to happiness is easy, my friend: Don’t try to possess anything. Even if you “own” it, it’s not yours. Not your life, not your wife/husband, car, home, kids, money, whatever. If you try to “own” everything you have, then those things become essential, at least to you, for you to have happiness. Essentially, you equate your happiness with other people or things, and when you lose them, then you “can’t” be happy. The person that needs nothing to be happy has happiness.
 
Even so, whenever anyone tells me, “God wants you to be happy,” it’s hard for me to believe.

Well, I think the really correct way to look at it is that God wants us to be good. If we are good, happiness follows naturally. Even suffering will give us satisfaction because we know the suffering is for a good reason … to make us stronger, to purge us of our smugness, etc.

When we look at the great saints we know their lives are not full of what other men call happiness … but rather full of a quest for discovering Christ in themselves and others. That includes a lot of pain along with whatever laughter can be found.
 
Gilbert Keith said:
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When we look at the great saints we know their lives are not full of what other men call happiness … *

What about the life of Jesus? was He happy while on Earth?
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I try to remember that God’s idea of happiness and my idea of happiness are more than likely two radically different things and that it’s my job to conform my idea to God’s idea.
 
In March, we had a gospel reading about the raising of Lazarus. Our priest said that the same two things that were vital about Lazarus apply to us as well–that we exist to serve God, and to bring others to believe in Jesus. To me, that is the definition of hapiness, doing what God wants and expects of me. I don’t find this easy, but I’m trying. 🙂 So, I think in that way God wants us to be happy; not happy as in having a nice easy life, with tons of money and worldly goods, but to serve and honor Him.
 
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dMaria:
Does God want us to be Happy? I am sure “He does” I don’t know how exactly I have not figured that out. I don’t believe I ever will. All that I would have hoped for and dreamed about and prayed for in my life seems all backwards. Didn’t happen hasen’t happened. I doubt it will in this life time. I am not a happy person with my life. I have had happy moments like everyone else but, that is it. Maybe that is “it”
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St Paul - “…God has given us all things to enjoy…”​

If one’s happy - one should be grateful, not worried 🙂 Misery is a not a gift of the Holy Ghost - or a fruit either.

There’s nothing Christian in seeking out unhappiness - it’ll come our way for sure, without our asking it to do so. ##
 
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mhansen:
Of course He wants us to be happy. Happiness is our nature. We make ourselves unhappy by what we do, and our perception of things.

The secret to happiness is easy, my friend: Don’t try to possess anything. Even if you “own” it, it’s not yours. Not your life, not your wife/husband, car, home, kids, money, whatever. If you try to “own” everything you have, then those things become essential, at least to you, for you to have happiness. Essentially, you equate your happiness with other people or things, and when you lose them, then you “can’t” be happy. The person that needs nothing to be happy has happiness.
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Very challenging 🙂​

St Paul - “…God has given us all things to enjoy…”

If one’s happy - one should be grateful, not worried or guilty that one is happy 🙂 Misery is a not a gift of the Holy Ghost - or a fruit either. Joy, by contrast, very definitely is.

There’s nothing Christian in seeking out unhappiness - it’ll come our way for sure, without our asking it to do so. ##
 
:yup: :yup: :yup:
Yes yes yes! God wants us to be Happy! He wants to be the source of that Happiness and Great Joy.
As originally posted by mhanson: "The secret to happiness is easy, my friend: Don’t try to possess anything. Even if you “own” it, it’s not yours. Not your life, not your wife/husband, car, home, kids, money, whatever. If you try to “own” everything you have, then those things become essential, at least to you, for you to have happiness. Essentially, you equate your happiness with other people or things, and when you lose them, then you “can’t” be happy. The person that needs nothing to be happy has happiness. "
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Happiness is a choice. In the days when I was a Baptized pagan I had a very negative view of things and people, and I blamed my unhappiness on others. But after I came into a personal relationship with Jesus, God began to show me how to be Happy. It’s just as mhanson has said above. I need nothing to be happy now.

That said, I will admit that the negative behavior and mis-treatment by significant people in my life removes my Joy for a time. But those are the times we can turn to God and partake of His Love and Mercy. His opinion of me is the only one that really counts. If I live in the center of His Will, then He gives me Peace, Love and Joy. He is our Joy - our happiness. He is our all in all.

I like things to go my way, but have learned that my way is not always what’s good for me. God’s way is good for me and sometimes His Way includes suffering at the hands of others. It’s his way of keeping me in line. 😉

a pilgrim on the journey
mej
 
I guess I have some idea of what this means in the abstract. After all, God does not make us happy in the hope that we will become saints; rather, He makes us saints in the certainty that we will become truly happy.
On the other hand, sometimes it’s hard for me to apply this to daily life. For example, I love to do crossword puzzles. If I’m about to do a crossword, I sometimes think that if I didn’t do the crossword and instead offered it up, it would be much better. Now, I realize that it’s no sin to do the crossword (unless I’m doing it to the exclusion of duties I have), but I can’t help but feel like I shouldn’t do a crossword if it would be better to offer it up. I sometimes apply this to all sorts of things, like eating chocolate or sleeping in a bed (instead of on the floor). I seem to intuitively know that God doesn’t want me only eating foods I dislike, never engaging in activities I enjoy, and always sleeping on the floor, but I can’t seem to justify it to myself.
When I look at some of the saints’ writings, I know St. John of the Cross warns against souls taking on too many penances, because often souls that take on too many penances either (a) increase in pride, (b) seek out penance for pleasure rather than for the love of God, (c) grow discouraged when they can’t keep up with everything, or (d) more than one of the above. I can accept that I’m not supposed to give up everything I enjoy because I’m still a beginner and would fall into these mistakes, but I also get the feeling that even if I were proficient, God would still not want me to deny myself everything that gives me pleasure. I just can’t figure out why except for a gut feeling.

I’m sorry if I sound completely confused and misguided.
 
Considering all happiness for man stems from and is found in God, of course He wants us to be happy in life. That’s why He came so that we could know Him. That’s why He calls us to remain with him daily. Doing so pleases Him and us.

I think the doubt stems from defining happiness. If we buy into the secular idea of happiness as having things, having good health, a good job, lots of friends, the love of another then we fall into the lie that if we don’t have those things we should be unhappy. But many poor unemployed single people still find joy and happiness in their lives when their spirit is rooted in Christ (or whatever God belief system they hold dear).

The bit about the suffering and all, if you look at the lives of the saints and even some deeply faithful people in your life who have endured traumatic events but still have joy in their hearts, is that when one focuses on Jesus intimately nothing else on this earth matters as much. There is always peace, joy and comfort in His eyes, in His embrace. That’s what enables us to offer us any pain and suffering for the sake of others who need it, because even though the event is happening to us, God’s love is so strong we hardly notice our own suffering. We are able to experience happiness even in stressful times.

At least that’s how it appears to me.
 
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