Are you happy?

Are you happy?

Be Happy.  Wired for Joy.  How to do everything and be happy.  The secret of everyday bliss.  30 steps to the art of perfect living.  How to create happiness from the inside out. 

That is the selection of the titles our local library had as their centre display last week.  They point to an underlining question in our minds.  Like the 2006 Luccino film ‘The Pursuit of Happiness’, starring Will Smith.  We are all asking, to a lesser or greater extent, why do we exist?  What makes sense of life?  How do I make life work?  How can I be happy?

And of course, very early in our journey of life, we learn to ask the questions from the other side: why did it go wrong?  How can I fix it?

In the image of God

So God created humanity in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. (Genesis 1:27)

The purpose of a mirror is to show clearly a reflection.  The purpose of a painting is to reflect something of the likeness of the subject.  Humanity is made by God to image God.  We exist to make much of God.  That is our purpose.  It’s a seed sown here in the first chapter of the Bible that fruits across its pages:

Psalm 19:1 suggests everything ever made exists ultimately to show God’s glory.  'The heavens declare the glory of God.'

Psalm 115:1 insists we emulate the writer in making much of God not ourselves.  'Not to us, O Lord, not to us.  But to you be the glory.'

1 Corinthians 10:31 urges we view every mundane and ordinary moment of life as a glorious opportunity to magnify God.  'So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all to the glory of God.'

Revelation 7:12 wraps all of time and space and history into the purpose of showing God as he truly is both good and great, wise and wonderful. 'Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honour and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever.'

Jesus

Some of the strongest demands that we live to ‘glorify’ God come from Jesus.

Mark 12:30 Jesus positively says at all time in all things we are is to be devoted to loving God. 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.'

Luke 14:26 Jesus negatively says if the intensity of our love for God does not make our good love for family appear as hatred we are not pursuing God sufficiently.  'If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters – yes, even their own life – such a person cannot be my disciple.'

Ego-centric and arrogant?

Surely this demand of God’s to make much of him is ego-centric and arrogant?  It sounds big-headed, unloving and conceited.

Lewis, Winfrey, Pitt and Prowse

Many have stumbled on this seeming arrogance.

CS Lewis, before becoming a Christian said God sounded ‘like a vain old woman who wants compliments’.

Oprah Winfrey left her childhood Christianity saying God’s jealously for his glory ‘sounded unloving’.

Brad Pitt, also rejecting his childhood faith, said God saying you have to say I’m the best ‘seemed about ego’.

Michael Prowse reports surely ‘only tyrants, puffed with pride, crave adulation.’

Our Joy is God’s Glory

And it would be, except our joy and God’s glory are interwoven, like:

When the bestman’s joy is most maximised as he fulfils his duty to make much of the groom.  When the groom is seen and admired and heard and applauded so the bestman is joyful.

When a parent knows the joy that comes as they can genuinely boast and make much of their child’s achievement.

When a business mentor is deeply satisfaction and joyful as she celebrates the teenager she has coached finally appointed to their dream job.

There are certain relationships where our joy escalates as we make little of ourselves and much of another.  It is ultimately true for human-God relationships.  God’s demand to make much of him is the most loving thing he could demand because the more we make of him and less of ourselves the more joy we have.

Are you happy?

Why do we exist? What is the point of life? How do I make life work?  How can I be happy?

Pursue hard imaging God in all you are.  Genesis 2 goes on to point to relationships and work and parenting and marriage and care of creation and serving one another.  For we are most satisfied in life when God is most glorified in us.