The Secret of Happiness

By Charles T. Crabtree

Without question, most people would doubt the wisdom of using the title “The Secret of Happiness” for such a relatively short dissertation on a subject that has given birth to thousands of books by some of the most gifted authors who ever lived.

However, the secret of happiness is not really a secret at all. It is boldly declared by Jesus himself in John 15:10,11: “If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete” (NIV, emphasis added).

It is amazing how little has changed since the Garden of Eden when our first grandparents 100 or so times removed brought so much tragedy and grief into the human family. It is there we learn the secret of unhappiness: a spirit of rebellion and an intentional decision to disobey God’s commandments.

Somehow Satan has succeeded in deceiving people of every age and culture into believing they can find happiness by focusing on selfish goals, seeking instant gratification and insisting upon self-rule.

Leaving God out of the formula for happiness is like drinking saltwater to quench your thirst or borrowing money to spend your way out of debt. It may bring a brief moment of pleasure or relief, but it simply delays the inevitable tragedy. Proverbs 14:12 brings a self-directed life into focus: “There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.”

Most of the popular self-help books on success and happiness should carry the following warning label:

This book may be injurious to your spiritual health. Its basic philosophy is human deification. Its appeal is to pride, and the only successes promoted are temporal.

Read the rest of this article in today's issue of Today's Pentecostal Evangel.