Go to Church!


I call it “a key to happiness.”

I am fond of quoting Abraham Lincoln on the subject of happiness. Lincoln once said, “Most people are as happy as they choose to be.” I think, for the most part, Lincoln is right.

But there may be a key factor missing in Lincoln’s analysis. In fact, it may be “the key.”

Harvard psychologist Daniel Gilbert has made the study and practice of happiness a passion. He has done much research into this area and written about it in Stumbling on Happiness (copyright 2005 by Vintage Books, a division of Random House Inc, New York). I suppose the title of the book comes because humans are pretty poor at predicting what will bring them happiness. Gilbert shows that more money does not do it. Marriage will do it, provided we are committed to the marriage. Dr. Gilbert defines happiness as “a general sense of satisfaction with life and a sense of well-being.” Fair enough – but how do we come to this place?

Gilbert provides many – not as many as you might think – pieces of evidence from his research. Commitment to a relationship is a big one. Focusing on little things is another. There are more.

But I want you to think about this one. Gilbert writes, “Churchgoers are happier than non-churchgoers.” Did you read that? Why might that be? Gilbert continues, “It is not the religion part that makes people happy. It’s the going-to-church part. It’s the community part. It’s the holding hands and singing. It’s the knowing-folks-who-would-bring-you-soup-if-you-got-sick part.”

It’s the community part. Hmm. The Bible calls it koinonia. This word is translated “fellowship” or “community.”

John Wesley wrote on “the means of grace.” He divided the means (things we do that strengthen the life of the believer and give witness to the world) into a.) works of piety, and b.) works of mercy. One of those works of piety, something we do by which God strengthens the life of the believer, was “belonging to community”. That is, belonging to and attending faithfully the local church.

Attending church is good for you. It provides opportunity for relationship-building, for making friends. It also strengthens you as a person and, consequently, strengthens your home and family. It surrounds you with people who care and love you, who pray with you in a time of hardship and, as Gilbert writes, bring soup to your home and family when you are ill. In short, it becomes family. The lessons learned from the Bible help you understand God and His ways, challenge you to know and serve Him, and empower you to overcome all the challenges life throws in your path. You become a better person rather than a bitter person.

Want to be happy? Listen to Harvard Professor Dan Gilbert.

This Sunday…

Go to church!