You can listen to the sermon on my podcast after 3/16 at: https://www.buzzsprout.com/697261/2893594
Finding Happiness
Intro:
• If you’re happy and you know it… song.
o But do we really know when we’re happy?
• Happiness is a universal human desire. We’ll do just about anything to feel happy.
• Justify our behaviors and choices.
• Problem:
o Happiness is a terrible metric for morality.
o Basically, if you’re happy then whatever you’re doing is fine.
o God wants me to be happy usually ends up badly.
o Contrast, God must NOT want me to be happy is bad theology.
• God is definitely interested in your happiness.
o Old cliché: Not happy, but holy.
o Problem there is these two states of being are not mutually exclusive. In fact, they go to together.
Psalm 37:4 NLT
4 Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you your heart’s desires.
Philippians 3:1 NLT
1 Whatever happens, my dear brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord. I never get tired of telling you these things, and I do it to safeguard your faith.
1 Thessalonians 5:16 NLT
16 Always be joyful.
• Our core verse this week comes from the Psalms.
Psalm 1:1–3 ESV
1 Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; 2 but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. 3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.
• Let’s put this in some context.
• Three specific chemicals called neurotransmitters that affect your happiness:
• [IMAGE] Brain image with neurons. from Google images.
• Oxytocin - generated by relationship, intimacy, touch, proximity. Called the chemical of love.
• Dopamine - generated by experiences, activity. Released by creativity, productivity, stimulus.
• Serotonin - generated by a sense of being significant, important to others, achievement.
• We NEED to feel these chemicals in our brain. We’re hard-wired for them.
• BUT - The feeling doesn’t last too long (on purpose).
o Designed to cause us to repeat the behaviors that caused the neurotransmitter to fire. When done in a healthy way, reinforces positive behaviors.
• There are other sources of happiness as well.
• It appears from research that folks have a “set point” or baseline of happiness that is just natural to them. Everyone’s is different.
o [IMAGE] Think Tigger all the way to Eeyore. (from google images)
o Researchers believe that this baseline makes up about 50% of our feeling of happiness.
• Related to this is how we react to circumstances.
o Surveys of people in vastly different circumstances show some counterintuitive results.
o Lottery winners (would be considered very positive) and those who had suffered severe physical trauma such as becoming paralyzed ranked their assessment of happiness shortly after their life change and then again a few months later. Then again not long after that.
? The surprising result was that both groups found themselves reporting about the same level of contentment and happiness as they were before their lives changed so dramatically.
o Circumstances seem to change our happiness temporarily and we go back to who we really are.
o About a 10% change factor.
o The one area where we have the most direct control over our happiness levels is in our choices.
Psalm 1:1–3 ESV
1 Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; 2 but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. 3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.
• Blessed in this context means “happy.”
Psalm 1:1 NLT
1 Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers.
• The contrast: Don’t choose bad relationships. Keep their influence at bay.
o follow - (walk - your behavior based on influence of wicked people.)
o stand around - (Maintain relationships with rebellious people.)
o join in - (Lit. dwell, habituation with people who mock God with their lives and words.)
• This is where our choices help us to “wire” our brain.
• Relationships stimulate oxytocin.
• The more and better our relationships, the more we’re wiring our brains toward happiness.
Psalm 1:2 NLT
2 But they delight in the law of the LORD, meditating on it day and night.
• Delight = happiness!
• This is where dopamine comes into our happiness choices.
o Our experiences, our learning fill our minds with dopamine.
o Contra the digital experiences of our world.
• To meditate in the Hebrew is to speak over and over under your breath. It’s repeating the will of God.
• Law isn’t really the best way to describe Torah. It’s as much to do with understanding God and His will (in part through his law) but just as much through his character and the narrative of scripture.
Deuteronomy 6:3–9 NLT
3 Listen closely, Israel, and be careful to obey. Then all will go well with you, and you will have many children in the land flowing with milk and honey, just as the LORD, the God of your ancestors, promised you. 4 “Listen, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD alone. 5 And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. 6 And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. 7 Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. 8 Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. 9 Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
o Keep filling your mind with God’s direction for life.
Psalm 1:3 NLT
3 They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do.
• We tend to find happiness through significance. When we’re perceived to be important to others.
• This releases serotonin.
• When we’re in good, healthy relationships that nurture us, we are more productive, more engaged, more successful.
• We’re happier!
Basically, our choices are more important than our circumstances.
Conclusion:
• Develop good relationships with people who honor God.
• Fill your mind with God’s truth.
• Serve others.
• Note: These aren’t huge, heavy things. they’re small, regular activities we can do every day.
• Habits that become a lifetime of blessing.
