The Key to a Happy Life

Happiness in the United States has been on a downward trend since the 90s, with an even steeper decline since the 2000s.[1] And things have gotten even worse in the past two years. One poll conducted in 2020 by the University of Chicago found that Americans were the unhappiest they had ever been since they started collecting data in 1972.[2]

So what’s the key to happiness? How can I be happy? And how can those whom I love be happy? As a parent, I want my son to be happy. And as a son, I want my parents to be happy.

Ancient Wisdom for Today

This isn’t a new question. With our happiness on the decline, we might have a special sense of urgency to answer it. But this is a question people have asked throughout history.

The book of Psalms, written about 3,000 years ago, begins with this exact question. Psalm 1 starts, “Blessed is the man.” But another good way to translate this word is “happy.” That’s how many scholars translate it.[3] “Happy is the man who …”

Do you want a happy life? Listen to the wisdom of this Psalm. The answer it gives is just as true today as it was 3,000 years ago.

Happy is the one whose “delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night” (Psalm 1:2).

Don’t be misled by the simplicity of this answer. It contains profound wisdom that, if you follow, will lead to a happy life.

Meditate on the Law of God

The two lines of this verse are parallel. To delight in the law of the Lord is to meditate on it day and night. That’s quite the task! Does that mean that in order to be happy, you have to become a monk? Do you need to spend all day studying God’s word and doing nothing else?

No. Certainly, it means that we should delight to know God’s word, and one way we do that is by setting aside time to study it. If I spent one less hour meditating on my phone and one more on the word of God, I would almost certainly be happier.[4] But this doesn’t mean you need to become a monk to be happy. What it means is that you should reflect on God’s word throughout the day.

It’s like, when you see a beautiful spring flower, you pause and thank God because you remember that the book of James tells us all good things come from God (James 1:17).

It means that when you’re faced with a dilemma at work, you consider what God might have you do and ask him for wisdom because you remember that the book of James tells us that if anyone lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach (James 1:5).

The key to a happy life is to delight in the Lord, such that on his word you meditate day and night.

Follow the Science

Interestingly, social science today points us in the same direction as what this Psalm has been saying for 3,000 years. Study after study shows that religious people are far happier than non-religious people.[5]They’re happier in their work.[6] They’re more emotionally healthy.[7] They’re even physically healthier.[8]

One study looked specifically at church attendance.[9] It found that of those who attend a church service “seldom or never,” only 26% report being “very happy.” Of those who attend monthly or less, 31% report being very happy—an improvement. And of those who attend weekly or more, 43% report being “very happy.” From 26% to 43%—that’s a big difference!

I mentioned before that, collectively, in 2020, we were the most unhappy we have ever been since at least 1972. But there’s one subgroup whose mental health actually improved in 2020. Can you guess who it is? Those who attended a religious service weekly or more.[10]

Do you want a happy life? Follow the science! Come to church every week. It is especially by hearing God’s word proclaimed on Sunday morning that we learn to delight in his law and find true happiness.

Don’t Follow Your Heart

Despite what social science says and despite what this Psalm has been saying for 3,000 years, our culture still gives us fundamentally different advice. Our culture says, “Follow your heart.” “You do you.” “Live your authentic life.”

These platitudes all express the idea that the key to happiness is found inside yourself. But this Psalm says something fundamentally different. It says the key to happiness isn’t inside of you. It’s outside of you. The key to happiness is found in the Word of God.

We think that God’s law stifles our happiness. To one degree or another, we all live that way. But the truth is that the law of God is the key to our happiness!

Do you want a happy life? Don't follow your heart. Delight in the law of the Lord. Obey the Ten Commandments. Strive to live a chaste life. Don’t envy others. Take Sundays off. See if it doesn’t make you happier!

Jesus Secures Our Happiness

God has given us the key to happiness. The problem is that time and time again, we reject it. There’s a part of us that delights in the Lord, but there’s another part that delights in wickedness. And because of that, we don’t deserve to be happy in this life or the next. We deserve to perish in the day of God’s judgment (Psalm 1:5-6).

The good news is that there is one who has not delighted in evil but always and fully delights in the law of the Lord. And this Jesus Christ chose to stand in our place in the judgment. He suffered, died, and rose again. And because he did, now we can stand in the judgment—not by our own merit, but by the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ. He stands in our place and secures our happiness. Happy is the one who delights in the Lord.

Note: This article originally appeared on The Gospel Coalition

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[1] https://worldhappiness.report/ed/2019/the-sad-state-of-happiness-in-the-united-states-and-the-role-of-digital-media [2] https://www.norc.org/PDFs/COVID%20Response%20Tracking%20Study/Historic%20Shift%20in%20Americans%20Happiness%20Amid%20Pandemic.pdf [3] Cf. Peter C. Craigie and Marvin Tate, Psalms 1-50 (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2005); Willem A. VanGemeren, Psalms (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2008). [4] Cf. Jean M. Twenge, iGen, (New York: Atria, 2017), 78f. [5] Cf. https://news.gallup.com/poll/152723/Religious-Americans-Enjoy-Higher-Wellbeing.aspx; https://news.gallup.com/opinion/thrive/172385/religious-americans-wellbeing-edge.aspx; https://time.com/4856978/spirituality-religion-happiness/ [6] https://news.gallup.com/poll/152723/Religious-Americans-Enjoy-Higher-Wellbeing.aspx [7] Ibid. [8] Ibid. [9] https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2006/02/13/are-we-happy-yet [10] https://news.gallup.com/poll/357749/mental-health-rating-remains-below-pre-pandemic-level.aspx