Though I live in a world that sells false happiness at newsstands, websites, and big-box stores, I thank God for authentic happiness in Jesus.

Sinclair Ferguson writes, "Christian contentment is the direct fruit of having no higher ambition than to belong to the Lord and to be totally at His disposal in the place He appoints, at the time He chooses, with the provision He is pleased to make.

Countless people in worse situations are happier than those in better situations. This demonstrates that happiness is dependent not on circumstances but on perspective, which is determined by our focus.

Why aren't you happy?" they tend to focus on their current circumstances. Happy people look to Someone so big that by his grace, even great difficulties provide opportunities for a deeper kind of happiness.

To be truly happy—a man must have sources of gladness which are not dependent on anything in this world." —J. C. Ryle

God cannot give us happiness apart from Himself, because there is no such thing." —C. S. Lewis

How can an object that wants nothing, fears nothing, enjoys nothing, needs nothing, and cares about nothing have a mind?

Violation of the sacred in the pursuit of happiness is not truly a source of happiness. In fact, it kills happiness because it can run roughshod over many a victim.

What do you do when it rains? The captain answered frankly. I get wet.

He was working hard at increasing his life span. He did it by cultivating boredom.

Enjoyment of life is not based on enjoyable circumstances. It is an attitude of the heart, a decision to enjoy everything because everything - even little, seemingly insignificant things - have a part in the overall big picture of life.

We can get excited by thinking about what all we have or can have, OR we can get discouraged by thinking about what all we don't have.