What is happiness?

It’s a simple question, but with so many people in this world experiencing unhappiness in extreme severity, I think it’s a crucial one.

A few weeks ago I was reading a blog on the topic of happiness and the blogger quoted Rousseau, who had come to a very philosophical-sounding conclusion that happiness is a sort of state of reverie in which you simply exist in a timeless-feeling sort of way, without cares. The blogger went so far as to compare this feeling to a God-like state where one feels no concern for time, passions, or troubles of the soul.

It sounds nice. To shut off the world, just float, carefree, worry-free, distraction-free. I could be lulled into thinking that’s happiness. Since God is all-powerful, he certainly must be like this, and he certainly must be happy, right? Unfortunately, this particular blog reminded me that the world defines happiness as being God-like. Humans have a long history of trying to be like God—need I even mention the fall? But these guys have it all wrong. How could anyone ever be happy trying to be something they’re not?

What makes me happiest is knowing that I’m doing what I was created to do. Happiness is knowing my life has worth and purpose. Not just the worth that I make of my life, because if it were left up to me I would mess it up. My happiness comes from knowing that, even though I deserve to be treated as if I’m worthless, my God decided I was worth enough for him to become like me and sacrifice everything just to win me over.

The God of the universe wants me—me specifically—and he does everything he possibly can for me. Forget momentary reverie happiness. God-given happiness lasts for eternity.