For at least a decade, there's been a happiness craze in our culture. Thousands of new books have been published on the topic, including Happy Money, Happiness for Beginners, and The Happiness Advantage. But a new study argues that pursuing happiness may not lead to what Christians would call joy; instead, we need meaning, purpose, or a sense of mission more than mere happiness.

The authors of the study write, "Happiness without meaning characterizes a relatively shallow, self-absorbed or even selfish life, in which things go well, needs and desire are easily satisfied, and difficult or taxing entanglements are avoided." But while being happy is about feeling good, meaning is derived from contributing to others or to society in a bigger way. As one of the researchers said, "Partly what we do as human beings is to take care of others and contribute to others. This makes life meaningful but it does not necessarily make us happy."

Possible Preaching Angle:

Thanks for the research, but that sure sounds a lot like someone who said, "If you want to save your live, lose it."