Whose Recipe for Happiness Do You Want to Cook Up?

Have you ever wondered what the key to happiness is? It’s a question I’ve been asked more than a few times in my years as a pastor. And as humans, we seem to always be searching for that happy place. Some believe it’s some Utopia here on earth. Others believe that we’ll only find true happiness when we get to Heaven. I say, let’s look to the Bible and see what God’s Word has to say about happiness.

The Bible says in Proverbs 10:28, “The hopes of the godly result in happiness, but the expectations of the wicked come to nothing.” Unfortunately, our society says just the opposite, that the hopes of godly people make for an unhappy life. Our society says to manipulate the situation, be aggressive, assert yourself, do whatever it takes to reach the top.

Well, again, the Bible is going to say the opposite of that.  In Matthew 5:5, the Bible says the meek—the righteous—will inherit the earth. In fact, the most potent force on the planet today, according to the Bible, is meekness. Meekness is literally strength under control.

Well, since so many of these recipes were hearing about seem to be in direct contradiction with each other, who’s right? Not surprisingly, I’m going to go with God’s recipe, but let’s start first with the world’s recipe.

The World’s 4-P Recipe for Happiness

So let’s start in this cook-off with ingredients in the world’s happiness recipe. But, before we get started, I will say that you’re going to notice something: some of the ingredients are the same for both the world’s recipe and God’s recipe. It’s the order these ingredients are added in that’s different.

Now, most people like dessert. We can all agree on that. Know what I’ve not seen, though? Someone whose mouth waters at the thought of eating the separate ingredients of—for example, a delicious chocolate cake—before they’re stirred together and baked. Who would like to eat flour by itself? Or raw eggs? (I know, we all saw Rocky drinking raw eggs, but he didn’t like them.) So let’s look at some of these separated-out ingredients.

Popularity

The first ingredient for the world’s happiness recipe is popularity. Proverbs 12:26 says, “The righteous choose their friends carefully, but the way of the wicked leads them astray.” In other words, the world’s recipe doesn’t put a lot of thought into who their friends are; they just want a lot of them.

Popularity for the world is a must ingredient if you have any shot at being happy. For some, this is all they’re after, like being TikTok famous (that’s the latest rendition). But no matter how many followers these influencers on TikTok or Instagram or YouTube amass, it never seems to be enough. Proverbs 18:24 tells us why. “A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother,” so it’s definitely quality over quantity.

Possessions

The next ingredient in the world’s recipe for happiness is possessions. Proverbs 27:20 tells us why this doesn’t work. “Just as death and destruction are never satisfied, so human desire is never satisfied.” The eyes of man always want and desire more. As Andrew Carnegie once noted that millionaires who laugh are extremely rare. Think about it. That’s true. Wealth is out to take smiles, and Jesus Himself told us in Luke 12:15, “Be careful to guard yourself from every kind of greed.” Life is not about having a lot of material possessions.

Power

Those who aren’t GQ cover material or who aren’t going in the first, second, or third round of the draft pick (because you’re a great athlete), there still remains the ingredient of power. People who go for power for happiness figure they’re going to get all the other things thrown in any way if they’re powerful enough or feared enough.

In fact, are you noticing a trend? Popular people often create an avenue to wealth, and wealth, many times, gains influence, and influence a lot of times leads to power. At least, that’s what Satan would have us believe—that these things can all come together, or even as individual ingredients, and lead to happiness.

Not surprisingly, God’s Word disagrees. The irony is that, frequently, when people prosper, they often drift away from God. They don’t have time for God, and their passion for Him diminishes. Their devotion decreases. They begin to believe, “Well, it’s my hard work which has allowed me to get that ski boat or take that vacation.” Or, “It’s my good looks, my popularity, my power, and I have to maintain it, so I don’t really have time to serve the Lord. Sorry, God, maybe later.” That’s the Pastor Rob paraphrase of Deuteronomy 8:17-18.

Peace

Finally, in this hodgepodge stew of happiness, people just want peace. It’s what they’re really after. If you chase after the other three ingredients long enough, you notice a sort of restlessness that never quite goes away. You start seeing that with any of them—or even all three of them—there’s still a high potential for a troubled heart.

Pre-order a copy of my new book, Overliked, and discover how to find the truth amidst all that social media would have you believe— about you and the world.

 

So what do all these have in common? Well, according to CS Lewis, the late theologian, the answer is an ever-increasing craving for an ever-diminishing pleasure. He calls that Satan’s formula. But even stirred together and cooked up perfectly, even if we have all these things, without God, it leads to misery according to the Bible.

Solomon wrote the whole book of Ecclesiastes, testing this very theory. He tested popularity, wealth, sex, everything you could think of, and came to the same conclusion, found in Ecclesiastes 12:13-14. “…Here now is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey His commands, for this is everyone’s duty. God will judge us for everything we do, including every secret thing, whether good or bad.”  

You see, the problem is that none of these secularly-pursued ingredients are added by God, or even with God’s blessing. So standing alone—or even all together—when we do it, it doesn’t lead to happiness. It leads to tragedy.

Is there a better recipe? There sure is, and I’ll share more about that next Thursday. Until then, I invite you to join us at The Summit—online or in-person—every Sunday morning at 9am & 11am MDT, where getting into God’s presence and hearing His Word will do more than move the arrow on your happiness scale. It will help to bring you that peace we’re all in need of.

~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.