Do you want to love life and see good days? Do you also want your prayers answered?

I know I do. I WANT TO be happy! What? Have I gone the way of prosperity gospel? “I thought it was wrong to want to be happy? I thought we should want to be holy and not happy??!,” you might ask.

There is a confusion among the bible-believing Christians regarding how holiness and happiness go (or don’t go) together. Since the prosperity gospel puts so much emphasis on prospering and being happy, the natural reaction is to disdain happiness and instead focus on being holy. But that’s not how the Bible sees happiness and holiness. Consider the following passage:

[10] For “Whoever desires to love life
and see good days,
let him keep his tongue from evil
and his lips from speaking deceit;
[11] let him turn away from evil and do good;
let him seek peace and pursue it.
[12] For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,
and his ears are open to their prayer.
But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”
(1 Peter 3:10-12 ESV)

This passage does NOT separate happiness from holiness. As a matter of fact, happiness (loving life & good days) comes FROM being holy!

So, our motivation for being holy is so that we can be happy. But what distinguishes this from the prosperity gospel is the source of our happiness. Prosperity gospel seeks happiness in things using God as a means. But the true gospel seeks happiness in God as we become more like Him in holiness. Here’s a test: Only in the true gospel, can we find joy in suffering.

Be holy. You will be happy.

PH