John 17:13 “I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them.”
“Is everybody happy?” That’s often how my childhood pastors would start a service. Another question that would be asked was, “Do you have the victory?” “Do you have the victory” is a very old fashioned question that only certain sectors of the church world would even understand. Apparently those pastors were more cutting edge than they knew. The most happening subject in the field of social science right now is “happiness.” Makes sense right, we were dedicated to an academic study of depression for more than a century, why not study happiness? The result is that we have volumes of information on depression and are only now starting to accumulate data on joy.
What is making this study on happiness especially intriguing is the ability to map the human brain so that we can actually see what a happy or sad brain looks like. We are able to monitor the pleasure centers of the human mind and watch the impact of chemicals like dopamine and neurotransmitters like endorphins and serotonin. We are actually finding out what makes people happy.
Christians should welcome this research of science into the field of happiness, because we have been inviting people to experience the joy of the Lord for the last six thousand years. When there was the initial outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, the crowd’s reaction to the one hundred and twenty in the Upper Room caused Simon Peter to respond with, “These are not drunk as you suppose. It’s only nine o’clock in the morning.” Can you get your brain around that? Those charter members of the first church in Jerusalem were acting so happy and celebrating so loud that people in the streets of Jerusalem thought they were inebriated. Now I am not suggesting that corporate exhilaration has a lot to with personal contentment. I am just making the point that spirituality and joy go together; that God likes it when we celebrate.
There are certain responses to the science of happiness that I really hope to see from my Christian friends and colleagues. I am writing this specifically because I have seen the organized church respond in alienating ways to the wisdom of society and science in the past. Suspicion and disrespect are miles apart from caution and discernment. So I ask believers to consider the following type of posture toward the plethora of “Ted Talks,” books, Oprah interviews, NPR conversations and the whole “Happiness Project” being serenaded by Pharrell Williams mega hit, “Happy. ”
1. Listen
Sometimes we are so afraid of being polluted by the bad influence of society that we lose the skill of listening. Not listening isn’t a sign of holiness; it’s a sign we lack courtesy. Ever try to tell someone something and they interrupt you every five seconds with, “I know, I know, I know.” Whenever the secularist try to tell us about anything to do with creation or our interior life, we can come across like that person who shuts you down with, “I know, I know, I know.” We are fine with listening to, “how to lose twenty pounds in 3 days,” or “how to run a major cooperation with an iPad,” but if the information is theological or spiritual we forget our listening skills.
2. Learn
The Bible is not a science book, social science or otherwise. The Bible is there to introduce us to God and lead us into knowing what he expects of us. People who spend their lives studying human behavior have something to offer us. For example; I don’t think I had anywhere near the right amount of Godly compassion toward addicts till I understood how the brain reformats so that addictive behaviors aren’t just a moral choice. This doesn’t mean addicts mustn’t be encouraged to stop, but it’s not as easy as just stopping and they are probably going to have a relapse before there is total deliverance. Guess what, “God is very compassionate, so this science has not led away from Godliness,” Good science on your moods won’t lead you away from God either.
3. Discern
Jesus said, “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees.” I am not calling anyone a Pharisee; I’m just pointing you to a principle of discernment. People both inside and outside the church will reach erroneous conclusions about happiness. Some will conclude that happiness is all that matters. For some, happiness will become the new sign of a clear conscience and the way all decisions are confirmed; “if it makes me happy then it’s okay if I do it.” Others will make happiness the new religious legalism. In other words, being unhappy will be the new unforgivable sin and happiness will be the way all spirituality is measured. One of the worst abuses of happiness will be when dominant and oppressive people and/or governments shame people for not being happy with neglectful and inhumane treatment. (“Hey, people with way less than you are happy, so snap out of it.”) Any teaching that doesn’t lead to freedom, peace and dignity for others is a false doctrine.
Let’s lead the way in being the people who truly exemplify happy marriages, happy families, happy employees, happy church members and happy people. You and I have all the tools of joy you will hear on NPR or Oprah plus the power of the Holy Spirit.
