đź“– Happiness and the Way of Jesus

Let your desires be transformed

April 10, 2025 • Estimated Reading Time: 4 minutes

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Happiness and the Way of Jesus

“Does following Jesus make me happy?”

This was the question posed at the start of our series.

And I don’t know if you noticed but I never gave a clear answer.

That’s because the whole thing isn’t black and white.

The Many Sides of Happiness

The Way of Jesus is a vast, complex, and all-encompassing experience. It can’t be simplified to a broad: Is this going to make me happy?

Even if we forget that happiness, in essence, is subjective, there are still multiple sides to consider.

Take the current struggle of Christians in Syria for example.

I’m confident they're not happy about being persecuted for their faith.

And, yet, they endure persecution for a reason. They know what life with Jesus is like and that He has liberated them from sin.

The Syrian Church is currently undergoing intense persecution.

That sounds like something to be happy about.

You see? The whole topic requires nuance.

Nonetheless, you good people deserve a straight answer.

So…

Does following Jesus make you happy?

Absolutely. 

Not a flimsy, subjective, and temporary happiness, but a true, lasting, and eternal one.

Allow me to explain.

True Happiness

A life following Jesus isn’t easy but it’s not for nothing.

It puts us in touch with our Creator, the reason for our existence, and the hope of eternity.

Following Jesus doesn’t instantly eliminate all struggles from your life. But it does grant a strong foundation for facing these struggles and seeing them through. It quite literally takes our suffering and turns it into strength.

It’s not about instant gratification, it’s about formation.

The more we follow Jesus, the more we become like Him. The more we realize He said the things He said and did the things He did for a reason.

In following Jesus our desires are transformed. No longer do we become dependent on fleeting, temporary things but on Christ’s pervasive, perfect, and enduring love.

That’s something to be happy about!

So, yeah, following Jesus isn’t about instant gratification.

It isn’t about whatever pleases us in the moment.

Following Jesus is much better than that.

Happiness is life with Christ.

As the Apostle Paul wrote:

…I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength. (Philippians 4v1-13)

When we are strong inside, it doesn’t matter what happens outside. We’ll be ready for it. Christ will make you ready for it.

Don’t settle for less with your happiness.

See you next week.

Jon,

Theophilus Newsletter

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