The survey by Leicester is pretty thorough and altogether fascinating, and even produces a nice graphic representation of global happiness levels. Here it is:
(click image to enlarge)Apprently, red=happiness (again...Columbus is a very happy place!).
One country that's hard to pinpoint on that map, however, is the tiny nation of Bhutan, or as its citizens call it, "Land of the Thunder Dragon." Bhutan currently comes into the survey at number eight with a bullet, but I'm sure they're doing everything they can to bash those Danish smiles to a pulp and take their rightful place as the happiest people on the planet. After all, Bhutan has made happiness their singular national goal.
When Jigme Singye Wangchuck became ruler in Bhutan in 1972, he instituted quite a few national reforms, not the least of which was completely redefining what success as a country would mean. Rather than measuring their place in the world by Gross National Product, they would now measure their national output in terms of Gross National Happiness. That's right--the central pursuit of Bhutan is not economic prosperity, but emotional well-being. Guided by their Buddhist values, the leaders and people of Bhutan make happiness the primary goal in every plan they execute, every decision they make, and every policy they adopt.
This week at church I'm preaching on the subject of happiness, and as I prepare I'm realizing that the evangelical church in America has a lot in common with the people of Bhutan. We seem to have made happiness our goal as well. Just look at the bestselling books in recent years, which seem obsessed with our emotional well-being, our success...our "best life." Flip through the channels, and there's a good chance that preacher on TV is telling you you are one "faith step," one "seed sowing," or one prayer away from having everything you want, from casting aside those troublesome circumstances which keep you from a life of true happiness, prosperity, and unfettered bliss.
I've got news for those preachers and authors--Jesus didn't die to make us happy. We in the church love to quote the verse from John 15 when Jesus tells the disciples his joy will be "in you" and will be "complete" (John 15:11). The problem is we've confused the joy that Jesus gives with worldly happiness. We fail to remember that moments later Jesus tells that very same crowd they are going to be hated and persecuted by the world (John 15:18-20). How can their joy be complete if they're going to know such hatred and persecution?
There's an important truth we in the church need to recapture--there is a big difference between happiness and joy. Happiness is momentary, fleeting...fickle. It's rooted in our circumstances, in what surrounds us at any given moment. But joy is something else entirely. It's not rooted in what's around us, it's rooted in what's in us--the very presence of God. The Comforter and Counselor Jesus himself promised in that same discourse to his disciples--the Holy Spirit--is the true source of our joy.
That's a real comfort to me in these difficult times, because it reminds me that my "best life" is not dependent on my circumstances--that the joy God would have me experience has less to do with what he does in my world, and more to do with what he does in my heart.
One country that's hard to pinpoint on that map, however, is the tiny nation of Bhutan, or as its citizens call it, "Land of the Thunder Dragon." Bhutan currently comes into the survey at number eight with a bullet, but I'm sure they're doing everything they can to bash those Danish smiles to a pulp and take their rightful place as the happiest people on the planet. After all, Bhutan has made happiness their singular national goal.
When Jigme Singye Wangchuck became ruler in Bhutan in 1972, he instituted quite a few national reforms, not the least of which was completely redefining what success as a country would mean. Rather than measuring their place in the world by Gross National Product, they would now measure their national output in terms of Gross National Happiness. That's right--the central pursuit of Bhutan is not economic prosperity, but emotional well-being. Guided by their Buddhist values, the leaders and people of Bhutan make happiness the primary goal in every plan they execute, every decision they make, and every policy they adopt.
This week at church I'm preaching on the subject of happiness, and as I prepare I'm realizing that the evangelical church in America has a lot in common with the people of Bhutan. We seem to have made happiness our goal as well. Just look at the bestselling books in recent years, which seem obsessed with our emotional well-being, our success...our "best life." Flip through the channels, and there's a good chance that preacher on TV is telling you you are one "faith step," one "seed sowing," or one prayer away from having everything you want, from casting aside those troublesome circumstances which keep you from a life of true happiness, prosperity, and unfettered bliss.
I've got news for those preachers and authors--Jesus didn't die to make us happy. We in the church love to quote the verse from John 15 when Jesus tells the disciples his joy will be "in you" and will be "complete" (John 15:11). The problem is we've confused the joy that Jesus gives with worldly happiness. We fail to remember that moments later Jesus tells that very same crowd they are going to be hated and persecuted by the world (John 15:18-20). How can their joy be complete if they're going to know such hatred and persecution?
There's an important truth we in the church need to recapture--there is a big difference between happiness and joy. Happiness is momentary, fleeting...fickle. It's rooted in our circumstances, in what surrounds us at any given moment. But joy is something else entirely. It's not rooted in what's around us, it's rooted in what's in us--the very presence of God. The Comforter and Counselor Jesus himself promised in that same discourse to his disciples--the Holy Spirit--is the true source of our joy.
That's a real comfort to me in these difficult times, because it reminds me that my "best life" is not dependent on my circumstances--that the joy God would have me experience has less to do with what he does in my world, and more to do with what he does in my heart.
1 comment:
Wow, that is certainly something to think about! I think way too many of us (me included!!) forget there is a difference between joy and happiness! Thanks for the food for thought this week Jack! Can't wait to hear the sermon!
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