The Pursuit of Hapiness

I have discovered a startling resemblance in perception concerning the definitions of happiness and suffering between most Christians I have met and the modern atheist. In his book The End of Reason, Christian apologist Ravi Zacharias responded to a book called Letter to a Christian Nation, written by the modern atheist Sam Harris. Zacharias pointed out one of the greatest weaknesses in Harris’ worldview is the stipulation life is meaningless because of the extent of human suffering. Following are some points Zacharias made in response:

“The famed twentieth-century British journalist Malcolm Muggeridge once said that all news is old things happening to new people. From the naturalist Scottish philosopher David Hume to the existentialist Jean-Paul Sartre, the list of grievances resulting from the problem of pain in the world has been stated over and over. I suggest they have missed the point.

“. . . (Sam Harris) seems to harp on how God acts like such a criminal and how we live such precarious lives that even one tragedy should shatter our tranquility. The experience of pain in this world proves to him the meaninglessness of life.

“. . . Author and satirist G. K. Chesterton remarked that meaninglessness does not come from being wary of pain but from being weary of pleasure. Pleasure, not pain, is the death knell of meaning. This is the lonely planet problem of Sam Harris’s worldview – the belief that because each of us is alone in the universe our personal joys and sorrows have no effect or impact on anyone else. In other words, it’s all about me. We have all come to know that our problem is not that pain has produced emptiness in our lives; the real problem is that even pleasure ultimately leaves us empty and unfulfilled. When the pleasure button is pressed incessantly, we are left feeling bewilderingly empty and betrayed. (The End of Reason, Ravi Zacharias, pg. 40)

It is no wonder the world finds an absence of hope in Christianity given so many Christians profess the same disillusionment and hopelessness common to the world. In America especially, Christian theology has been muddled with the American idealism that happiness is found in material gain and a “comfortable” lifestyle. Like the Pharisees rebuked by Jesus, many modern day Christians still attribute material prosperity and comfort with “blessing” and suffering with “punishment.” This belief is not Biblical nor is it realistic.

(A)s Christians, we need to realize that this abundant life is lived in a real world filled with pain, rejection and failure. Therefore, experiencing the abundant life God intends for us does not mean that our lives will be problem-free. On the contrary, life itself is a series of problems that often act as obstacles to our search for significance, and the abundant life is the experience of God’s love, forgiveness and power in the midst of these problems. The Scriptures warn us that we live within a warfare that can destroy our faith, lower our self-esteem, and lead us into depression. In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul instructs us to put on the armor of God so that we can be equipped for spiritual battle. However, it often seems that unsuspecting believers are the last to know this battle is occurring, and they don’t know that Christ has ultimately won the war. They are surprised and confused by difficulties, thinking that the Christian life is a playground, not a battlefield. (The Search for Significance, Robert S. McGee, pg. 10)

Learning the true meanings of suffering and happiness is essential for the establishment of a foundation on which to build faith. Without it, a house of faith is no more stable than a house of cards.

Romans 5:1-5ESV Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

1 Peter 5:6-11 6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, 7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. 8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. 10 And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. 11 To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.