Category Archives: Contentment

AGGRESSIVELY HAPPY

I almost did not read this book. The cover made me think it was going to be another one of those fluffy, feel-good books. You know, the kind in the end that leave you more convinced that Christians just can’t write honestly about the human condition.

Well, I am here to say that Joy’s splendid book is hardly spiritual pablum. Joy just finished her PhD at St. Andrews, she knows suffering firsthand, and yet she maintains a gritty confidence in Jesus Christ.

When you are my age (sixty-four, by the way), have a strong theological education, and constitutionally have a honed radar for drivel, you are ready to be disappointed by “popular” Christian books.

I was not disappointed!

The writing is beautiful, the insights are fresh, and the storytelling, even about the author’s own life is wonderful. Talking or writing about yourself is fraught with all kinds of potential hazards, but Joy avoids them. She is the winsome, fellow-traveler you would like to have as a guide and friend.

I usually read (meaning careful highlighting and note-taking) 50-60 books a year. I peruse hundreds of others. Aggressively Happy will definitely make my favorite book list for 2022, but now I feel another category needs to be added: Books that pleasantly surprised me.

I would love to open a bookstore someday. Well, not quite. Since my own teaching and writing makes that impossible, I would love to be the person who picks what gets stocked. If and when that happens, you can be sure to find this book on the shelves.

FOUR TYPES OF PEOPLE

My wife and I were talking about a piece she read by Tim Keller in which he describes two types of people:

    Those who get what they want and are not happy

    Those who do not get what they want and are not happy

My wife took the second group of people and made two groups:

    Those who have given up believing they will ever get what they want to be happy

    Those who have not given up believing they will ever get what they want to be happy

As we were talking about all this, Doreen asked me if I thought there were non-Christians who truly were happy with their lives.  I do. In fact, I know some. They have not yet gotten to Ecc. 2:11. (Take a gander to see what I mean if you are not familiar with this terrific section of Scripture.)  Their hearts are still satisfied with their lives apart from God.

My question to you: Why are so many Christians such unhappy folk?

 

FOUR TYPES OF PEOPLE

Four Kinds of People

My wife and I were talking about a piece she read by Tim Keller in which he describes two types of people:

                Those who get what they want and are not happy

                Those who do not get what they want and are not happy

My wife took the second group of people and made two groups:

                Those who have given up believing they will ever get what they want to be happy

                Those who have not given up believing they will ever get what they want to be happy

As we were talking about all this, Doreen asked me if I thought there were non-Christians who truly were happy with their lives.  I do.  In fact, I know some.  They have not yet gotten to Ecc. 2:11. (Take a gander to see what I mean if you are not familiar with this terrific section of Scripture.)  Their hearts are still satisfied with their lives apart from God.

My question to you: Why are so many Christians such unhappy folk?