What is the point of happiness?

“It’s not just something that makes us feel good but helps us succeed in in life. People who are happy make more money, are more likely to get married, have stronger immune systems, and more friends.” Some manifestations of happiness that benefitted early humans are now detrimental to our emotional health.

Is suffering the absence of happiness?

Happiness is not the absence of suffering; it’s the ability to rebound from it. And happiness is not the same as joy or ecstasy; happiness includes contentment, well-being, and the emotional flexibility to experience a full range of emotions. At our company, some of us have dealt with anxiety and depression.

What is the purpose of joy?

Studies show that joyful people have less chance of having a heart attack, maintain a healthier blood pressure, and tend to have lower cholesterol levels. There’s research to prove that joy boosts our immune systems, fights stress and pain, and improves our chance of living a longer life.

Does suffering serve God’s Joy?

When suffering begins to serve our joy and not undo it. God can build a blazing and refreshing sanctuary in the wilderness. He turns our deserts into places for us to explore and express greater depths of delight in him. Instead of being a threat to real joy, he often makes our suffering a means to even more.

Does joy in God always look and feel full?

But real joy in God does not always look or feel full. Just a few verses earlier, while David’s heart aches with sadness and anxiety, admitting his dryness through the fires of affliction, he cries out with joy in his anguish,

Will our joy be strong and durable?

Our joy will prove strong and durable, even invincible, because God will keep us, but it will run low and feel fragile along the way.

What happens when you’re thrown into the wilderness of suffering?

If we look to him when we’re thrown into the wilderness of suffering, he will lead us to secret sanctuaries of peace, strength, hope, and even joy. King David was driven from his home by betrayal and mutiny, running for his life in the desert, and yet he could write, and meditate on you in the watches of the night. ( Psalm 63:5–6)