A recent special issue of Time Magazine is entitled, “The Science of Happiness,” focusing on what makes us happy and how we can adjust our thinking and our behavior to have a more joyful life. Needless to say, the issue made for some interesting reading, as it went over the various ways in which scientific research has supposedly shown us how to be happy. The authors are Laura Kubzansky and K. “Vish” Viswanath, co-directors of the Lee Kum Sheung Center for Health and Happiness at the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health. In the course of the magazine, they explore various reasons why human beings are not happy, and they make suggestions as to overcoming these problems.
As we might expect, their approach is largely secular, yet I found it curious that some of the conclusions they arrived at were those supported by Scripture. We will cite a few of these examples. It is noteworthy that many times the word “happier” is used by the authors, for man’s research consists of “comparing themselves among themselves” (2 Cor. 10:12). True happiness comes only in knowing Christ, in having Him as our Savior, and in walking in fellowship with Him.
Resilience
Realizing that bad things sometimes happen in our lives, the article places a high premium on resilience — the ability to “bounce back” from difficult events that may come our way. Among the ways to develop resilience, they mention the following:
Develop a core set of beliefs that nothing can shake.
Try to find meaning in whatever stressful or traumatic event has happened to you.
Be quick to reach out for support when things go haywire.
For those of us who know the Word of God, it is easy to see how all three of these methods of developing resilience are found there. Since we have received “a kingdom which cannot be moved” (Heb. 12:28), we should not “despise ... the chastening of the Lord,” nor should we “faint” when we “are rebuked of Him” (Heb. 12:5). Rather, we should be “exercised thereby” in order to enjoy “the peaceable fruit of righteousness” (Heb. 12:11) that comes from learning the lesson that God intends for us. In all this we have not only the support of one another, but also the Lord, who has promised, “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” (Heb. 13:5).
Money
The authors also mention money, pointing out that those who are very poor are not as happy as those who have enough to live comfortably. But it is interesting that beyond this basic level of comfort, they found that more money does not bring more happiness. In the Proverbs we read, “Give me neither poverty nor riches ... lest I be full, and deny thee ... or lest I be poor, and steal” (Prov. 30:8-9).
Marriage and Stress
The article also points out that a good marriage and a supportive family contribute largely to more happiness. Again, the Lord Himself said at the beginning of man’s history, “It is not good that the man should be alone” (Gen. 2:18), and Scripture recognizes that the companionship and help of others is a great mercy, especially in difficulties.
Also, a lack of stress and strain in one’s life together with real gratitude for what we do have are promoted as going a long way toward happiness. Again, Scripture tells us that “a merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones” (Prov. 17:22).
There are even several back-handed references to the Word of God in the article, such as, “You can’t put new wine into old wineskins,” and, “A rich man may find it harder to get into heaven than a camel does passing through the eye of a needle.” There is even a quotation from Ecclesiastes: “All is vanity and vexation of spirit” (Eccl. 1:14). But all this is mixed with quotations from false religions, leading to their conclusion that “those with a spiritual practice or who follow religious beliefs tend to be happier than those who don’t.”
Trends
It is revealing to notice that a special issue like this comes out when man is literally at “his wits’ end” and scarcely knows in which direction to turn. Since God and His claims have been given up, men’s hearts are indeed “failing them for fear,” and often this fear takes very irrational forms. But as another issue of Time Magazine has aptly commented, “In a fearful and tribalistic society, we run on emotion, which is the currency of social media.” The level of stress and anger in Western society is rising, which, in turn, causes a rise in crude and violent speech. This then translates into violent actions. For those who are a bit unstable or perhaps feel somewhat marginalized in society, senseless violence is often directed simply at the person or institution that represents their disillusionment. The level of happiness and contentment in this world is rapidly going down, not up, and man feels the need somehow to reverse this trend by focusing on what makes him happy.
Conclusions
While some good conclusions are given in this special issue of Time Magazine, as we might expect, it fails to address the root of the problem. It is man in Cain’s world, seeking happiness in a world that is spoiled by sin, yet leaving God out entirely, except as a nebulous concept that is not founded on any absolute truth. The root of man’s unhappiness is sin in this world, and its effects cannot be reversed by the natural man. He may make himself as comfortable as possible in this blighted world, but eventually he must realize Solomon’s verdict: “All is vanity and vexation of spirit.” One man may, in a temporal way, be happier than another, for sin has introduced inequity and greed into the world. There are those who are relatively comfortable in this life and those who suffer want. But without God, all this comfort is merely “the pleasures of sin for a season” (Heb. 11:25). No matter what we have in this life, it can never give complete satisfaction or happiness. As another has remarked, “Happiness is a state of soul, not a question of circumstances.”
Solutions
Second, the solutions proposed do not rise above man himself. Some of the recommendations given are good and reasonable, yet often there is no power to carry them out. We are told to show more gratitude for what we already have, yet man in his fallen nature always wants what he does not have. We are told to reach out more to others, yet the natural man is selfish and self-centered. We are told to take “time out” from modern technology, yet most people today are addicted to their cell phone, to their music, to Facebook, and to other vehicles of social media. We are told to get outside more and to get more exercise, yet global obesity has nearly doubled over the last thirty years, and especially among children. All of this fulfills the Lord’s words through Jeremiah: “I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps” (Jer. 10:23).
Other Alternatives
Third, man’s quest for happiness leads him into all sorts of different pathways, including those that are not merely sinful, but dangerous. Since the world rejected Christ, Satan is its god and its prince, and he rules man by his lusts. As the god of this world, he has masterminded false religions, which are now being sought after by many in countries that formerly were regarded as Christian. There is a strong emphasis in one article on the concept of “mindfulness” — the focusing on whatever we are doing in the present, rather than having our minds concerned with whatever may be next on our agenda. (For a fuller discussion of mindfulness, see the June 2017 issue of The Christian.)
As was pointed out in the article on mindfulness, the concept is rooted in Buddhism, and it can lead unsuspecting people into Satanic influences. The desire for something “spiritual” without Christ has always been a road to demonic superstition, and it may well be today’s precursor of the “strong delusion” that will overtake those during the tribulation period who have rejected the gospel of the grace of God. Since the article levels all religions as being similar, the message is that it does not matter what you place your faith in, as long as you have a “core belief.” This delusion is exactly what Satan uses to lull men into a false sense of security.
True Happiness
But God has told us in His Word that true happiness comes only when man looks outside of himself, to the God who not only loves him, but has provided a way back to Himself through the gift of His Son. In Christ we have an Object that fills our hearts, not only in this world, but for all eternity. Our testimony to the world is our joy in Christ, which is independent of our circumstances.
W. J. Prost