The Problem of Happiness

• The Happiness of the world is circumstantial, it is governed by what is happening around us, what we see, hear and interact with. We are happy when things are going to our liking, when there is good news or when there is something new and exciting. The problem with a circumstantial happiness, however, is that in a fallen world, circumstances change so quickly and so often.

• The happiness of the world is ephemeral. The happiness that the world offers not only does it not endure for eternity but it does not even for a short time. Ephemeral, from the Greek meaning “lasting a day” is a fitting description of the pleasure of this world, and the reason why we can’t depend on tomorrow (Proverbs 27:1). We find happiness in one thing today and we have to seek for happiness in something else tomorrow. We chase happiness from one thing to another.

• The happiness of the world is Trivial. We are so filled with ambition for more and greater happiness that we are never satisfied with the present happiness in our possession. All that we possess seems so trivial to what we could have—we can never be satisfied with this world in the present state (Job 20:22). This is the problem that that Alexander the Great had when he had conquered the world and cried that he had no more world to conquer.

• The happiness of the world is Partial. It satisfies only the sensual part of the man—it does nothing for his soul. The sensual part of man, the body only has consciousness of this world and therefore cannot be fully or finally satisfied. But the soul of man has consciousness of the next world.