A lot of kids nowadays grow up thinking that dedicating their lives to God and His church equates to a lifetime of suffering and unhappiness.
However, Eternal Perspective Ministries founder Randy Alcorn disagrees.
He writes on his blog that the culture of God's people is "one of joy, happiness, gratitude, eating and drinking, singing and dancing, and making music," so God's people don't have any reason to be miserable, adding that those who don't know God are the ones who ought to be miserable.
This is why Alcorn is encouraging Christian elders to teach their children, grandchildren, and future generations to "seek God as the answer to their deepest longings," and instil in them "the foundational truth that He is by nature happy."
"When we understand that the God of the Bible is both happy and powerful enough to overcome our greatest grief and suffering and to give us cause for eternal happiness, Satan's arguments against trusting God will lose their power," explains Alcorn.
Future generations of Christians need to understand that sin, suffering, shame, and unhappiness are just "temporary conditions" for God's people, says Alcorn. However, when they are in God's presence, they will become righteous, healthy, shame free, and happy.
Unfortunately, Alcorn notes that only a few churches teach Christians that God is happy and wants His people to be happy. "We are unintentionally silencing the biblical revelation of one part of God's nature, at great loss to the church, families, and individuals," says Alcorn.
Christians who are taught about a happy God can still find genuine gladness and thanksgiving even if faced with suffering, says Alcorn, and they are also more inclined to intervene for the hungry, sick, and persecuted.
"Imagine if our churches were known for being communities of Jesus-centred happiness, overflowing with the sheer gladness of what it means to live out the good news of great joy!" continues Alcorn. "Envision how contagious the doctrine of God's happiness could be if taught and grasped and lived out."
