Is "happy" ok?

Have you ever noticed how divisive the word “happy” has become in Christian circles?

 It seems strange to even type that sentence, but I’ve heard preaching that said:
·       God wants you to be happy
·       Happiness is fleeting and based on circumstances, instead we should focus on being joyful
·       “Happy Christians” aren’t serious about their faith, they’re just focused on “playing nice”
·       Pursuing happiness in this life is shallow theology
·       We shouldn’t find happiness in our stuff
·       We should be happy and grateful for the stuff God gives us
·       Happiness is a symptom, not the goal

Overall, I’d say the majority of Christian teaching I’ve been exposed to has generally said that happiness – as a pursuit or priority – is a bad thing for a believer.  To sum up what I heard taught:

Happiness is considered too shallow for those who are spiritual and godly; instead, we should focus on God’s more significant desires.  And if by doing those more significant things for God, you become happy or even stoically joyful, then that’s alright…but don’t expect God to be directly interested in making sure you feel “happy”.

And then, I open my CSB translation study Bible and read the first verse of the first psalm:

Psalm 1:1
How happy is the one who does not
walk in the advice of the wicked or
stand in the pathway with sinners or
sit in the company of mockers!

Hrm…how about that? 

Sure looks like God considers happiness as a good thing…and it appears to be a positive result when we make wise choices about the relationships we keep.

But let’s dig a little deeper, shall we?  When I look up the Hebrew word for happy (ashre), I find that the Greek equivalent (makarios) is found in Jesus’ beatitudes in the Sermon on the Mount.  You know, the teaching where Jesus repeatedly said “Blessed are those who…”?  Well, you could legitimately go to Matthew 5:3-11, substitute in the word “happy”, and read “Happy are those who…”.

In Hebrew, happy (ashre) is defined as heightened state of joy, implying very favorable circumstances and enjoyment.  When used, the word also suggests a state of prosperity or happiness from a superior bestowed on another.  It also seems to contain a congratulatory element.

With this Hebrew-usage definition, we understand that God gives happiness as a reward for making wise choices.  He gives His favor to those who have done well.  If we take this definition, and place it in the context of Psalm 1:1, we are told where our happiness and God’s favor is definitely not found:

Psalm 1:1
How happy is the one who does not
walk in the advice of the wicked or
stand in the pathway with sinners or
sit in the company of mockers!

Three levels of person-to-person interaction are presented – each one details a level of relationship we can have with anyone.  As the psalm continues, the relationships become more intense.  We move from a being casually influenced by ungodly people to being someone who shares life with those who show contempt and scorn for God and His ways.

The three activities listed – counsel, way, and company – point out that the righteous are to avoid thinking like, behaving like, and dealing with the wicked.  If you are not characterized by evil influence, then you are happy – because you are in right relationship with God and He rewards those who pursue His ways.

This isn’t the only time God gave the Israelites this kind of warning, either.  Here’s just one example:

Proverbs 4:14-15
Keep off the path of the wicked; don’t proceed on the way of evil ones.
Avoid it; don’t travel on it.
Turn away from it, and pass it by.

Of course, the psalmist was not telling the Israelites to form a holy huddle and exclude all non-Israelites from their lives (even Paul recognized the impossibility of Christians doing so in 1 Corinthians 5:9-10).  The warning here is to not be influenced by those by who are not following God’s path.

Perhaps we can sum up Psalm 1:1 like this:

Don’t rely on the ungodly for what only God can provide.  Happiness is not found in a wicked person’s advice, lifestyle, or company.

As we continue through the psalm, we’ll see what we need to do in order to find and maintain this God-bestowed happiness.  But for starters, let’s make sure we are avoiding the things that we know will not bring us God’s favor.

Keep Pressing,
Ken

Much ado about mentoring

Many years ago, I was given a rather simple – and yet deep – illustration for the kinds of relationships each of us needs within the body of Christ. 

Everyone needs a Paul, a Barnabas, and a Timothy.

This straightforward description has always stuck with me.  Whenever I share it with someone else, I usually don’t have to give it much explanation – they immediately understand the details of these relationships:

Paul – someone who leads me toward God, provides a more mature example
Barnabas – someone who comes along side me as an equal, to both encourage and challenge
Timothy – someone who I am pouring my life into and providing a Godly example for

These relationships, especially those between a “Paul” and a “Timothy”, are commonly referred to as either discipleship or mentoring relationships.  While the term mentor is not specifically stated in the Bible, the word disciple is – and it generally refers to someone who is a learner, a follower, and an imitator of their instructor.  Howard Hendricks best described these special kinds of relationships:

Discipleship, as we know it today, tends to narrow its focus to the spiritual dimension. Ideally, it should touch on every area of life – our personal life and lifestyle, our work, our relationships. But discipleship always looks at these areas by asking the question, how do they relate to Christ? How does following Christ affect my personal life, my work, my relationships, and so on?

Mentoring, at least when practiced by Christians, certainly ought to center everything on Christ. But mentoring is less about instruction than it is about initiation – about bringing young men into maturity. Whereas the word for disciple means learner, the word ‘protégé’ comes from a Latin word meaning “to protect.” The mentor aims to protect his young charge as he crosses the frontier into manhood.

For my own part, I do not make a hard and fast distinction between discipleship and mentoring. There is a great deal of overlap. But I like the concept of mentoring because it focuses on relationships.

The point is we need the mature and experienced to kneel down with those of us in the family who are immature and have limited experience.  I feel that is one of the greatest areas where our modern church family has faltered – especially among the men, but women need these kinds of relationships, too.  We all need someone to challenge, guide, and protect us as we mature.  However, it is also vital that we turn to those around us and become the mentor they so desperately need.

To understand how to do this, we’re going to take a look at various mentor relationship examples that God has provided for us throughout the pages of Scripture.  We’ll watch how the mentors interact with their protégés.  We’ll observe their successes and their failures.  Most of all, we’ll be looking for how God was able to work with both of them because of their relationship.

A good starting point is a statement the apostle Paul gave to the believers in Corinth.  Right in the middle of his instruction about the many ways they needed to mature, Paul makes this bold statement:

1 Corinthians 11:1
Imitate me, as I also imitate Christ.

Whether you are the mentor or the protégé, for this special relationship to work we must both desire the same thing – we must desire to imitate Christ.

Keep Pressing,
Ken