"Happiness: A Moral Obligation?"

"Happiness is a serious problem," at least according to the founder of Prager U, Dennis Prager. In his classic book by that title, Prager explores ideas about happiness, including our moral obligation to pursue it.

"We tend to think that we owe it to ourselves to be as happy as we can be," said Prager. "And this is true. But happiness is far more than a personal concern. It is also a moral obligation," and he gives three reasons why.

Reason#1
Happy people are pleasant to be around.

"We owe it to our husband or wife, our fellow workers, our children, our friends, indeed to everyone who comes into our lives, to be as happy as we can be." And this doesn't mean faking it or acting phony, Prager insists.

"But it does mean that we owe it to others to work on our happiness," because chronically unhappy people are difficult to be around.

"Ask a child," urges Prager, "what it was like to grow up with an unhappy parent, or ask parents what pain they suffer if they have an unhappy child (of any age.)"

Reason#2
There is a connection between being a "good" person and happiness.

"In general, people act more decently when they are happy," Prager said, explaining why he wrote an entire chapter on the wisdom of seeking goodness.

Reason#3
Unhappy religious people reflect poorly on their religion and on their Creator.

"Unhappy religious people should therefore think about how important being happy is--if not for themselves, then for the sake of their religion,' he advises.

Prager, a religious Jew, hits the nail on the head but many Christians will be quick to point out the difference between joy and happiness.

• Happiness is a feeling, joy is not.
• Happiness is fleeting, joy is not.
• Happiness depends on circumstances, joy is from God.

Bottom line? If a person is joyful, they are happy. There's no such thing as glum joy. Christians should be joyful and if that means they are happy...rejoice.

"Those who have been ransomed by the LORD will return. They will enter Jerusalem singing, crowned with everlasting joy. Sorrow and mourning will disappear, and they will be filled with joy and gladness" Isaiah 35:10.

A wise man once said: "The Lord gives His people perpetual joy when they walk in obedience to Him." -- Dwight L. Moody

Link: "How To Go To Heaven"

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