Type of Doctrine: Secondary or Tertiary
"You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore."
-Psalm 16:11 ESV
Why Does It Matter?
Does God want us to be happy? Or are we supposed to live the Christian life out of duty to glorify God? This article will seek to answer these questions.
In one sense this is a primary issue. Scripture is clear--all of us must live our lives to glorify God (1 Cor. 10:31). However, some may disagree on the nuances of how this doctrine is understood. Therefore, I have classified it as a secondary (or even a tertiary doctrine). However, that should not diminish it. This doctrine is truly life-changing.
What Is It?
The word "hedonism," according to the Oxford English Reference Dictionary, means "belief in pleasure as the highest good and humankind's proper or sole aim" (652). In other words, one lives for the pursuit of pleasure and happiness. Generally, the word "hedonism" is considered negatively--at least from a Christian worldview. However, in Desiring God, John Piper argues for Christian hedonism (correcting the secular aspects of it as he understands it biblically) and applies it to various life circumstances.
Piper makes an impressive case biblically, and he includes numerous supporting quotations from figures in church history (mainly C. S. Lewis and Jonathan Edwards). One strong verse from the New Testament in support of Christian hedonism is from Philippians. Paul commands believers to rejoice in the Lord always: "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice" (Phil. 4:4). Likewise, in the Old Testament, the psalmist writes: "Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart" (Ps. 37:4).
Piper goes on to show that there is a connection between glorifying God and enjoying him. He makes a jarring statement, "God is not worshiped where He is not treasured and enjoyed" (Piper, Desiring God, 22). In other words, God should not merely be worshiped out of duty. In fact, based on that quote, I believe Piper would say, "Duty is not worship; treasuring and enjoying God is worship." But God is not the means to some end; he is the end (22). And so Piper summarizes with this catchy statement, "God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him" (Piper, Brothers, We Are Not Professionals, 45).
"God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him." John Piper
He makes a slight modification to the popular phrase from the Westminster Confession. (The phrase originally was: "The chief end of man is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.") He substitutes "and" with "by." Now it reads: "The chief end of man is to glorify God by enjoying him forever" (Piper, Desiring God, 28; emphasis mine).
Piper argues that the idea that acts are good if we are disinterested and not motivated by joy comes from Immanuel Kant (Piper, Brothers, We Are Not Professionals, 46). "Christian hedonism aims to replace a Kantian morality with a Biblical one" (Ibid.). He continues, "The Kantian notion says that it's OK to get joy as an unintended result of your action. But all these people (myself included) are aiming at joy" (Ibid., 47; author's emphasis).
In fact, he points out that we can't actually avoid choosing happiness. "It is impossible, because the will is not autonomous; it always inclines to what it perceives will bring the most happiness (John 8:34; Rom. 6:16; 2 Pet. 2:19)" (Ibid., 48). Then he quotes Blaise Pascal,
All men seek happiness without exception. They all aim at this goal however different the means they use to attain it . . . They will never make the smallest move but with this as its goal. This is the motive of all the actions of all men, even those who contemplate suicide. (Ibid.)And so, he says: "There are two possible attitudes in genuine worship: delight in God or repentance for the lack of it" (Ibid., 50). Therefore, we should never "deny or repress that desire" (Ibid., 51). Instead, as C. S. Lewis once said, we are too easily pleased and satisfied with things other than God (Ibid.). Now, this doesn't mean that life will always be easy. Jesus "endured the cross for the joy that was set before Him (Heb. 12:2)," and Hudson Taylor, after a "life full of suffering and trial, said, 'I never made a sacrifice'" (Ibid., 52; author's emphasis).
Piper gives this vivid illustration:
Two weeks ago, we celebrated our 49th wedding anniversary . . . I buy . . . and I hold this bundle of roses. They cost $200, right, give or take. I hold this huge bundle of roses behind my back and instead of walking in my front door, I ring the doorbell, which is unusual. She comes to the door and looks puzzled, and I say, “Happy anniversary, Noël.”
She says, “Oh, Johnny. They’re beautiful. Why did you go to such an expense?” Suppose I said, “It’s my duty. I read it in a book. This is what husbands do.” What’s wrong with that answer? You’re shaking your head. That’s right. You should be shaking your head. Okay, I’ll show you what’s wrong with the answer.
We’ll just rewind. Ding-dong. “Happy anniversary, Noël.” “Oh, Johnny. They’re beautiful. Why did you go to such an expense?” “Well, I couldn’t help myself. In fact, I’ve got a plan for this evening. I want you to go put on something nice because we’re going out. Because there’s nothing I’d rather do than spend the evening with you. It would make me very happy.”
Do you think that at that moment, she would say, “It would make you happy? You’re always thinking about what makes you happy. What about me, your wife?” Do you think she’d say that when I said, “This evening spent with you, as an all-satisfying person in my life tonight, would make me happy.” Do you think she’d say, “All you ever think about is what makes you happy”? (Piper sermon, "Delight Is Our Duty")So, yes, God wants you to be happy--that is, eternally happy in him.
Here are a few key Scriptures to study:
Psalm 37:4 - "Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart."
Psalm 16:11 - "You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore."
Psalm 43:4 - "Then I will go to the altar of God, to God my exceeding joy, and I will praise you with the lyre, O God, my God."
Matthew 13:44 - "The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field."
Galatians 5:22-23 "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law."
Philippians 3:8 - "Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ . . ."
Nehemiah 8:10b - "And do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.'"
Application
Practically speaking, if God is most glorified by us when we find the most happiness in him, then what are the implications on every aspect of our lives? I'll list a few ideas:
Church worship services are about glorifying God by finding happiness in him.
Personal Bible reading, prayer, and fasting are about glorifying God by finding happiness in him.
Marriage, parenting, finances, possessions, friendships, rest, recreation, and career are all theaters in which we glorify God by finding happiness in him.
Where can I learn more?
Bibliography:
-Oxford English Reference Dictionary. 2nd edition, revised. Edited by Judy Pearsall and Bill Trumble. New York, NY: Oxford, 2003.
-Piper, John. Brothers, We Are Not Professionals: A Plea to Pastors for Radical Ministry. Nashville, TN: B&H, 2002.
-Piper, John. Desiring God: Meditations of a Christian Hedonist. Rev. ed. New York, NY: Multnomah, 2011.
-John Piper's sermon titled, "Delight Is Our Duty"