Why the Pursuit of Happiness Will Not Lead to Your Best Life Now Pt. 1

This is the first of a 6-part series of posts based upon the sermon I preached at Morningside Baptist Church on September 20, 2009 from Matthew 5:3-6. For audio of that message, please click here.


On July 4, 1776, the 56 members of Congress signed the Declaration of Independence. In the second paragraph of the Declaration, we find the most famous words in the document:

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.”

In one of the most defining moments in our nation’s history, our Founding Fathers established that all men have the right to pursue happiness. And to our credit, we definitely have not let the Founding Fathers down. In fact, we pursue happiness more than just about anything else:

We often pursue happiness more than holiness.
We pursue pleasure more than piety.
We pursue riches more than righteousness.
We pursue our comfort more than our Creator.

Yet the pursuit of happiness is not necessarily a bad thing. As we come to Matthew 5:3-6, we come to Jesus’ opening words of the Sermon on the Mount, the Beatitudes, which are a series of 8 blessings that Jesus proclaims to introduce His sermon. Each of the beatitudes begin with the word “Blessed”, which means “Happy” or “Fortunate”.

However, it is difficult for us to understand what Jesus means by “happiness” here, because of our misuse of the word in modern times. We often interpret happiness solely as an emotion based upon temporary circumstances. If the circumstances in our lives are going well, then we are happy. If I eat chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream from Graeter’s, then I’m happy. If I watch a funny movie, then I’m happy. If I ride a roller coaster at Cedar Point or King’s Island, then I’m happy. When I was a child and I got an A on a test, I was happy, and I got a smiley-face sticker to further display my happiness.

However, this emotional state based upon temporary circumstances cannot be what Jesus is referring to in the Beatitudes. As we will see, Jesus in essence says, “Happy are those who mourn. Happy are the meek. Happy are those who are persecuted, reviled, and falsely accused.” If we interpret happiness as simply an emotion based upon current circumstances, none of these statements make sense. So, what does Jesus mean here?

Jesus’ definition of happiness in the Beatitudes is not based upon temporary circumstances, but eternal circumstances. He is referring to the lasting state of joy & well-being that is only true of disciples of Christ. Remember that the Sermon on the Mount was primarily addressed to those who have confessed & repented of their sins, and put their faith in Christ alone for salvation. Therefore, in these opening Beatitudes, Jesus describes the pursuit to true happiness for his disciples. So, let's examine 4 markers on the path to true happiness, found in Matthew 5:3-6.

Check back tomorrow as we will begin to examine each of these markers in greater detail.