Key #1 to Happiness – A relationship with God

I believe that having a relationship with God through Jesus Christ is the most important key to finding happiness.

“In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore”.  Psalms 16:11 (NKJV)

Knowing the one who made you, who planned your every feature and personality trait, who saw every day of your life before the foundation of the world – knowing this one is truly the cornerstone and the foundation of happiness.

There are several reasons why we experience happiness through a relationship with God.  Through this relationship, we find our origin, purpose, and destiny, which is a prerequisite to happiness (Read Gen. 1; Eccl. 12:13 and Matt. 25: 46).

It’s part of our DNA and how we were made.

An iPhone without any applications just wouldn’t be the same device.

A bicycle is meant to have wheels, without which it won’t work

A car meant to have steering…without it, it will drive, however, it will not work at it’s potential.

As humans, we’re meant to have deep emotional connections with others, without which there will be a void in our lives that can’t be replaced by anything else.

A baby is meant to have a mom and a dad who loves and cares for them, without which the baby will grow into a person with psychological issues through much of their lives.

When we ignore our need for God, life does not seem to work correctly.  In the same way as the above examples, God made us to have relationship with Him.  In a sense, God completes us.  When we choose to ignore that relationship, we fight against nature and our purpose and therefore elude happiness.

The Bible also says…“and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus”.
Phil 4:6-7 (NKJV)

“Happy are the people whose God is the LORD”!  Psalms 144:15 (NKJV)

“These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full”.  John 15:11 (NKJV)

Some people mistakenly believe that when we become Christians, we will not have any more problems.  The Bible clearly tells us that we will have trouble in this life.  The good news is that when we have a relationship with him, God becomes our great comforter in times of trouble.  Also check out my article on “Why do bad things happen to good people!”

”these things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”  John 16:33 (NKJV)

“Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides you.  My flesh and my heart fail; But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever”.  Psalms 73:25-26 (NKJV)

“Remember the word to Your servant, Upon which You have caused me to hope.  This is my comfort in my affliction, For Your word has given me life”.  Psalms 119:49-50 (NKJV)

“The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.  He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters.  He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake.  Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me”.   Psalms 23:1-4 (NKJV)

For additional verses check out our article on “Comfort”.

The biggest reason to start a relationship with God through Jesus His Son, the one and only Savior Messiah, is not for happiness…that is just a by-product.  The biggest reason to accept Jesus as our savior is because He was the only One capable of paying our ransom.   There will be a judgment day.  On that day, we will all be judged for our sins.  He does not use a sliding scale but judges by his perfect standard.  There is only one way to have a perfect record…it’s not by being a good person (check out “Are you a good person” – A test), but to accept His Son, Jesus as your savior.  He has paid the price for our sins, however, we need to accept that gift in order to receive it.  Once we accept Jesus as our Savior, there is a peace and happiness that comes from knowing that regardless of what disappointments or losses we face here on earth, our eternity is secure.  This is a peace like no other…in good and in bad times.

How to find happiness – Daily Exercises:

Put the following exercises into your routine daily…even multiple times per day for the next two weeks.

• Pray to God to reveal himself to you (God answers prayer)
• Ask Jesus to come into your heart (read the articles on “Salvation” below and let us know if you made a decision for Christ)
• Get a Bible and start reading it daily
• Find a bible teaching church (see link below)
• Feel free to e-mail us with questions
• Sign up for our e-mail reminder as soon as a new key to happiness is published

For more on what it takes to be saved check out:

Salvation – Questions and answers

Salvation – What it takes to be saved

Who is Jesus

Repentance – Key 1 to Salvation

How to find a church

Are you a good person – A test

May God answer your prayers mightily and may you find true and lasting happiness – Amen!

Additional Resources

How to find Happiness Course – Never miss a lesson – Get notified via e-mail as soon as a new lesson is available!

How to find Happiness Introduction

I get this question all the time, especially when disasters happen like Hurricane Katrina or someone we love gets seriously ill… or worse…if someone dies. “Why do bad things happen to good people?”

When troubling things do happen, what exactly does this mean?  Does it prove that God does not exist? If He does exist – doesn’t God care? Does He enjoy seeing us suffer?  Of course none of these things are true.
See Answers to tough questions.

First of all, the Bible does not promise that we will be without challenges.  As a matter of fact, it says the opposite.  The Bible tells us that we will have trouble in this life.  God never meant for our lives to be this way.  Death, sickness and calamity are a direct result of the fall of man…and sin has had a devastating effect.  Am I saying all this death and disease and sickness is because Adam and Eve sinned?  That is what the Bible tells us.  There was no sickness in the Garden of Eden.  This will be the life the redeemed will have again in heaven.  God’s Word says…”And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying.  There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” Rev 21:4 (NKJV).  Our sins have enormous consequences.  Maybe you have been dealing with the affects of the sins of your parents for your entire life?  Multiply that by a trillion sins…compounded over thousands of years.  May God have mercy on us.

Sometimes God uses the bad situations in our lives to turn them into a blessing…”And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28 (NKJV).  A good example would be the story of Joseph in Genesis 37 – 50, where he is put into a position to save millions of people from starvation.  If he would not have been sold into slavery, it would not have happened and millions of people would have died.

Many times God gets the blame for our own mistakes.  We smoke all our lives and when we get lung cancer, we tend to blame God. Everything we do in life has consequences.  The good things we do have good consequences and the bad have bad consequences. Yes, through prayer, God in His mercy will sometimes reverse the damage we’ve done to ourselves.  “Whatever we ask in the Name of Jesus will be done by the Father in heaven.” Matt. 18:19. Also, read John 14:13-14

None are good. The Bible is clear that all humans are deeply affected by sin.  “There is none righteous, no, not one; There is none who understands;  There is none who seeks after God.  They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one.”  “Their throat is an open tomb; With their tongues they have practiced deceit”; “The poison of asps is under their lips”; “Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.”  “Their feet are swift to shed blood; Destruction and misery are in their ways; And the way of peace they have not known.”  “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”  Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.  Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin. Romans 3:9-20 (NKJV)

God’s Righteousness Through Faith…see Romans 3:20-31 (NKJV)

Something else to consider. After Hurricane Katrina happen, Billy Graham’s daughter was interviewed on The Early Show and Jane Clayson asked her ‘How could God let something like this happen?…Anne Graham gave an amazingly profound and insightful response. She said, “I believe God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we’ve been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government and to get out of our lives…and being the gentleman He is, I believe He has calmly backed out. How can we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if we demand He leave us alone?”

Do you call God only when you are in trouble or need help?  How can you expect God to answer your prayers if we don’t have a relationship wit Him, except when we’re in trouble?

Finally, God is more interested in character building than he is in just seeing us enjoying a worldly life.  Sometimes He answers our prayers like below.

MOST RICHLY BLESSED (by unknown civil war veteran)
I asked God for strength…that I might achieve; I was made weak…that I might learn humbly to obey.
I asked for help…that I might do great things; I was given infirmity…that I might do better things.
I asked for riches…that I might be happy; I was given poverty…that I might be wise.
I asked for all things…that I might enjoy life; I was given life; …that I might enjoy all things.
I was given nothing I asked for, but everything I had hoped for. Despite myself, my prayers were answered. I am among all men most richly blessed.

God loves you and me. He hates to see us in pain or trouble.  And one day we will no longer have to face these struggles and hardships. Meanwhile, He is waiting for us to ask Him for help to have a relationship with Him in the here and now.  We are designed to have relationship with Him. You might have everything…money, power, health and more, however, until you fill that part (a relationship with Jesus) of your life, you will always feel unfulfilled. I’ve been there…I know.  I’ve had it all, only to find out that the things that we think will make us happy do not deliver happiness.  Only Jesus can fill that void…period.

Find out how to have true relationship with Jesus…Success in this life and the next.

Also check out the following links:
Wisdom for Living – Online Bible Study Tools – Can you earn your way to heaven? – Got Questions.org -