God’s Recipe for Happiness: You Might Just Be Surprised

Posted on by Rob Singleton

Happiness—we all want it, strive for it, and sometimes do crazy things to get it. We even sing songs about it…you know, ”Don’t worry….be happy,” and “Because I’m happy…Clap along if you feel like happiness is the truth,” just to mention two enormously popular ones.

In last Thursday’s blog, we looked at the ingredients the world says goes into the recipe for. Today, let’s take a look at what the Bible says are the ingredients in God’s happiness “souffle.”

Make God the Center

Romans 8:28 gives us a great hint. It says, “We know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose.” This means the advantage God has is that He can bring joy and happiness to His children no matter what the ingredients are. He does this by not putting the focus on the ingredients but rather on Him. And not just on Him, but by completely centering everything around Him. Get ready for happiness by re-centering everything on God because, as Ecclesiastes 2:26 says, “To the person who pleases Him, God gives wisdom and knowledge and happiness.”

Our Declaration of Independence guarantees us the right to pursue happiness. Yet, as wonderful as that sounds, politically, it’s disastrous. In reality, happiness is an elusive butterfly—the more you chase it, the quicker it flies away.

The only way to find real life is to let it go, to die to self, to seek first the kingdom of God, whereby all you ever longed for will be added to you (this according to Matthew 6:33). It’s flipping the script on the secular recipe for happiness. God says to seek Him first, and then all these things that are added will be added right and properly.

Hoping in God

The next thing in the recipe for God’s happiness is hoping in God. “The hopes of the godly result in happiness, but the expectations of the wicked come to absolutely nothing” (Proverbs 10:28). So, we should hope for happiness. It’s thrown in for the Christian, if not in this life, definitely in the next. This verse tells us essentially that hoping in the Lord is a better ingredient to happiness.

We know that the most potent force on the planet, from the verses we read in last Thursday’s blog, is meekness. But did you know that Jesus agreed? He said, “Happy are the meek, for they’re the ones who will inherit the earth.” This is talking about the one who turns his cheek when he’s been hit and doesn’t retaliate, the one who walks an EXTRA MILE when he’s commanded to walk only one, the one who throws in the shirt off his back when he’s asked only for his jacket. This is the one who’s in control of the situation.

This is so upside down for the world. The strong one is the one who doesn’t always push back to exalt themselves. They don’t need to. Their confidence is in the Lord and His Word.

Delight Yourself in God

Their confidence isn’t only in the Lord, and not just their hope, but also their delight—the next ingredient in God’s recipe for happiness. Scripture says. “Delight yourself in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart.”  Well, that sounds a lot like happiness, but what came first? Delighting in the Lord. (That’s Psalm 37:4.)

Focusing on God and Worshipping God

The next ingredient after delighting in Him is focusing on Him. Psalm 16:8-9a says, “I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad (and what’s another word for glad? Happy!), and my tongue rejoices.” So, how do we focus? We focus by worshiping God, which is another key ingredient.

What is God’s Main Priority for Us?

So, what then is God’s main priority for us? I mean, what in the world is He doing with us in this fallen world? There are many things in this fallen world that don’t go our way. And a lot of it hurts. Sometimes the hurt isn’t even anything we can put our finger on. It’s just there, weighing us down and hanging in the air around us. It’s a shadow or a darkness buried deep inside of us.

If you believe in the biblical God—which is to say, the one Creator Who is sovereign over everything—somehow, your version of His take on happiness has to accommodate for the harsh realities in this fallen world, like the hurt, loneliness, sickness, death, and all the rest as a result of the fall. The existence of these things is why so many people reject the idea of God wholesale. They don’t see how One who is all-loving and all-controlling could even allow such things like pain and hardship in the world. They conclude He’s either not all-loving, or maybe He’s just not all-controlling. And that makes sense if God’s main priority for you is to be happy.

I’m going to share something, and then I want you to answer in your heart whether you believe God’s number one priority is for us to discover all these things I’ve share about in this blog and last Thursday’s blog.

All these things that we’ve discussed about that the world says you have to chase in order to lay hold of the ultimate prize called happiness, are directly contradicted in scriptures, like Psalm 144:15, that says, “Happy are the people whose God is the Lord.” Also, when God is the center of your life, you’ll have the courage, boldness, and strength to take anything this world throws at you with joy. Nehemiah 8:10 says, “The joy of the Lord becomes your strength.” Can you imagine that? So, you know what? Happiness must not be God’s main priority for us.

It just makes sense that if happiness was the goal, life would simply consist of one pleasure after another. But, but it’s obviously not.

So, what then is God’s main priority for us? The answer is all over the Bible. God’s goal for us is not happiness. No. It’s holiness. And the good news is that holiness does not exclude happiness.

God wants something better for you than for you to just be happy. It’s a three-letter word called joy. Get this: Happiness is always connected to happenings. If something that’s happening in your life is good, you’re happy. If everything that’s happening is miserable, well then, you’re not happy. But joy for the Christ-follower is more of a constant.

God wants joy over happiness for you, and that only comes by putting Him at the center of your whole life. If you’re ready for God’s unspeakable joy, take that step of making God the center of your life, and use His ingredients above in your recipe for happiness.

Until next time, I invite you to join us at The Summit—online or in-person—every Sunday morning at 9am & 11am MDT, where you’ll find all the ingredients for God’s version of happy. And be sure to join us during this Holy Week for Good Friday, April 2, at 7pm MDT, as well as for our Easter worship experiences at our regular times. These are going to be special times in the Lord.

Blessings,

~Pastor Rob

aka, P-Ro

The First Three Chapters

Why wait until the book is released to start reading it? With your pre-order, you will receive the first three chapters immediately, so you can begin reading it right away. Pastor Rob sets lays the groundwork for all that he will be sharing, and you will get to start on his end-of-chapter “Change of Heart” exercises.

 

Out of Egypt Devotional

In this 6-day devotional, Pastor Rob will walk you through Scripture, much like the Israelites following God out of Egypt, and show you that God uses the ordinary to do the extraordinary and how to discern the truth over all the noise. You can also join the private Out of Egypt Facebook Group where you can connect with Pastor Rob and others in a supportive and encouraging environment.

 

Social Media First Aid Kit

Every home, office, store, church, and public gathering place has a first aid kit. Something to help patch up those bumps and scrapes we get from time to time. So it seems only appropriate that we treat the bumps and scrapes we sometimes get from social media. In Pastor Rob’s Social Media First Aid Kit, you will find valuable tools to not only treat the wound but to also prevent the wounds from coming in the first place.

 

Included in the kit you’ll find:

  • 5 Bible Verses to Look at Before Engaging Social Media Today – Get the Scriptural foundation you need before checking in with your social media platforms.
  • 3 Decisions to Make TODAY to Protect Your Mental Health When Engaging with Social Media – Having a more positive experience with your social media platforms can be as easy as 1-2-3. These three simple tips, when implemented consistently, will help keep social media in its place…and move you closer to God.
  • The Age of Narcissism – Narcissism, a personality trait that we all possess to a certain degree, has become a major problem. Not just because we’re obsessed with selfies and making sure we look—or at least appear¬¬ to look—good, happy, successful. But because the focus is on self and not God. Take this seven-day journey to putting God—and not you—at the center of your life.

 

Make It the Best Year

Everybody wants this to be the best year of their life—who wouldn’t?! But making this year better than the others means making some adjustments—changes. This 21-day devotional is the jump-start you need to do just that. Filled with scriptures, insight, and encouragement, Pastor Rob walks with you on this daily journey. Don’t wait until next New Year’s Day, make this the best year of your life…starting today!

The First Three Chapters

Why wait until the book is released to start reading it? With your pre-order, you will receive the first three chapters immediately, so you can begin reading it right away. Pastor Rob sets lays the groundwork for all that he will be sharing, and you will get to start on his end-of-chapter “Change of Heart” exercises.

Out of Egypt Devotional

In this 6-day devotional, Pastor Rob will walk you through Scripture, much like the Israelites following God out of Egypt, and show you that God uses the ordinary to do the extraordinary and how to discern the truth over all the noise. You can also join the private Out of Egypt Facebook Group where you can connect with Pastor Rob and others in a supportive and encouraging environment.

Social Media First Aid Kit

Every home, office, store, church, and public gathering place has a first aid kit. Something to help patch up those bumps and scrapes we get from time to time. So it seems only appropriate that we treat the bumps and scrapes we sometimes get from social media. In Pastor Rob’s Social Media First Aid Kit, you will find valuable tools to not only treat the wound but to also prevent the wounds from coming in the first place.

Included in the kit you’ll find:

  • 5 Bible Verses to Look at Before Engaging Social Media Today – Get the Scriptural foundation you need before checking in with your social media platforms.
  • 3 Decisions to Make TODAY to Protect Your Mental Health When Engaging with Social Media – Having a more positive experience with your social media platforms can be as easy as 1-2-3. These three simple tips, when implemented consistently, will help keep social media in its place…and move you closer to God.
  • The Age of Narcissism – Narcissism, a personality trait that we all possess to a certain degree, has become a major problem. Not just because we’re obsessed with selfies and making sure we look—or at least appear¬¬ to look—good, happy, successful. But because the focus is on self and not God. Take this seven-day journey to putting God—and not you—at the center of your life.

 

The First Three Chapters

Why wait until the book is released to start reading it? With your pre-order, you will receive the first three chapters immediately, so you can begin reading it right away. Pastor Rob sets lays the groundwork for all that he will be sharing, and you will get to start on his end-of-chapter “Change of Heart” exercises.

 

Out of Egypt Devotional

In this 6-day devotional, Pastor Rob will walk you through Scripture, much like the Israelites following God out of Egypt, and show you that God uses the ordinary to do the extraordinary and how to discern the truth over all the noise. You can also join the private Out of Egypt Facebook Group where you can connect with Pastor Rob and others in a supportive and encouraging environment.

 

Social Media First Aid Kit

Every home, office, store, church, and public gathering place has a first aid kit. Something to help patch up those bumps and scrapes we get from time to time. So it seems only appropriate that we treat the bumps and scrapes we sometimes get from social media. In Pastor Rob’s Social Media First Aid Kit, you will find valuable tools to not only treat the wound but to also prevent the wounds from coming in the first place.

 

Included in the kit you’ll find:

  • 5 Bible Verses to Look at Before Engaging Social Media Today – Get the Scriptural foundation you need before checking in with your social media platforms.
  • 3 Decisions to Make TODAY to Protect Your Mental Health When Engaging with Social Media – Having a more positive experience with your social media platforms can be as easy as 1-2-3. These three simple tips, when implemented consistently, will help keep social media in its place…and move you closer to God.
  • The Age of Narcissism – Narcissism, a personality trait that we all possess to a certain degree, has become a major problem. Not just because we’re obsessed with selfies and making sure we look—or at least appear¬¬ to look—good, happy, successful. But because the focus is on self and not God. Take this seven-day journey to putting God—and not you—at the center of your life.

 

Make It the Best Year Devotional 

Everybody wants this to be the best year of their life—who wouldn’t?! But making this year better than the others means making some adjustments—changes. This 21-day devotional is the jump-start you need to do just that. Filled with scriptures, insight, and encouragement, Pastor Rob walks with you on this daily journey. Don’t wait until next New Year’s Day, make this the best year of your life…starting today!

 

Exclusive Private Virtual Event – “Narcissism and Breaking Its Hold”

Narcissism is at an all-time high. And it’s not just because we’ve become a society obsessed with how we look and making sure we’re #1. It’s because we’ve put ourselves at the center of our lives instead of God. Join Pastor Rob in this 45-minute private event, where he will discuss the challenges facing society today and how we can make powerful changes in our lives to break the self-centered hold and embrace a God-centered life.

The First Three Chapters 

Why wait until the book is released to start reading it? With your pre-order, you will receive the first three chapters immediately, so you can begin reading it right away. Pastor Rob sets lays the groundwork for all that he will be sharing, and you will get to start on his end-of-chapter “Change of Heart” exercises.

 

Out of Egypt Devotional

In this 6-day devotional, Pastor Rob will walk you through Scripture, much like the Israelites following God out of Egypt, and show you that God uses the ordinary to do the extraordinary and how to discern the truth over all the noise. You can also join the private Out of Egypt Facebook Group where you can connect with Pastor Rob and others in a supportive and encouraging environment.

 

Social Media First Aid Kit

Every home, office, store, church, and public gathering place has a first aid kit. Something to help patch up those bumps and scrapes we get from time to time. So it seems only appropriate that we treat the bumps and scrapes we sometimes get from social media. In Pastor Rob’s Social Media First Aid Kit, you will find valuable tools to not only treat the wound but to also prevent the wounds from coming in the first place.

 

Included in the kit you’ll find:

  • 5 Bible Verses to Look at Before Engaging Social Media Today – Get the Scriptural foundation you need before checking in with your social media platforms.
  • 3 Decisions to Make TODAY to Protect Your Mental Health When Engaging with Social Media – Having a more positive experience with your social media platforms can be as easy as 1-2-3. These three simple tips, when implemented consistently, will help keep social media in its place…and move you closer to God.
  • The Age of Narcissism – Narcissism, a personality trait that we all possess to a certain degree, has become a major problem. Not just because we’re obsessed with selfies and making sure we look—or at least appear¬¬ to look—good, happy, successful. But because the focus is on self and not God. Take this seven-day journey to putting God—and not you—at the center of your life.


Make It the Best Year Devotional

Everybody wants this to be the best year of their life—who wouldn’t?! But making this year better than the others means making some adjustments—changes. This 21-day devotional is the jump-start you need to do just that. Filled with scriptures, insight, and encouragement, Pastor Rob walks with you on this daily journey. Don’t wait until next New Year’s Day, make this the best year of your life…starting today!

 

Exclusive Private Virtual Event – “Narcissism and Breaking Its Hold”

Narcissism is at an all-time high. And it’s not just because we’ve become a society obsessed with how we look and making sure we’re #1. It’s because we’ve put ourselves at the center of our lives instead of God. Join Pastor Rob in this 45-minute private event, where he will discuss the challenges facing society today and how we can make powerful changes in our lives to break the self-centered hold and embrace a God-centered life.

 

Exclusive Live Webinar – “How to Help Your Teen Break Free of Social Media Addiction”

While it might not (yet) be considered a clinical addition, many in society can’t go 5 minutes without checking their phone to see how many likes they have for their latest post, or how many comments people have left. And our teens are especially susceptible. After all, they’ve been all but raised with a device in their hands. How do we help this next generation deal with the debilitating side effects social media can have on us? In this 90-minute webinar, Pastor Rob will discuss the issue and provide practical ways we can help our teens navigate these formative years in a positive way. There will also be a live Q & A session at the end. (A link to the recorded webinar will be provided after the live event.)

Overliked by Rob Singleton is a tome for such a time as this. Even though I work on television, I also make a living through social media. Coincidently, right before I started reading the pre-release copy, I had checked my "Likes'" and numbers on social media! How was I doing? Were my numbers growing? Declining? Did a few drop off?  
 
It's so easy to get our self-esteem and self-worth tied to those likes and numbers.  
 
Through Pastor Rob's book, we learn how frivolous and fake it can all be and ultimately, how it can lead to a miserable and unfulfilled life if left unchecked. The tools, scriptures, and "change of heart" takeaways that Pastor Rob provides at the end of each chapter help considerably shift the focus from there…to in here. He gently, but with statistics and examples, gives us a guide us to live a more authentic life.  
 
In the book, Pastor Rob says, "Honesty is what sets us up for authentic relationships," and isn't that what we really all want? 
 
As a woman over 40 in Hollywood, the expectations have never been higher. Overliked sites that, in one 12-month period, YouTube logged 169 billion views just for beauty-related content. Beauty is good… perfection is lethal. And don't I know it? I am on high-definition TV with glaring set lights, standing next to 20- to 30-year old young women daily; it's a test to stay solid and secure in your own skin.  
 
I was posting perfectly lit and curated pictures of my "Beautiful" (heavily filtered) life; people followed and viewed but scrolled right along. However, when I let down the curtain, turned off the filter, and decided to share my real-life sorrows and struggles with cancer, the comments, words, notes, and numbers flooded. People want to see my honesty and weaknesses because they can relate.  
 
Overliked shows us that when we pretend to be perfect, the only person we are hurting is ourselves.  
 
Pastor Rob's easy and relatable storytelling draws the reader in. We find that our weaknesses become our strengths to help us touch, encourage, and heal others, not just impress them.  
 
Thank you for this very needed and essential book that helps us realize that being real is the only way to have a true connection with our Lord and our friends and family. 
 
In Overliked, through story references of David, we learn the Lord encourages us all to ignore appearance and stature. "For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7)
 
This book is an important message for developing authenticity in our lives, which is far more critical than adding strangers, getting fake followers, and creating a heavily-filtered life experience. I promise you will really "LIKE" it.