BE HAPPY

January 1, 2026

It’s the time of year when many in our culture (and some within our church) set out to make “resolutions” for the new year. Whether it’s diet, exercise, or even spiritual or mental health, many people choose to resolve to pursue specific goals. This practice of New Year’s Resolutions always reminds me of a Puritan theologian by the name of Jonathan Edwards. He compiled for himself a list of 70 resolutions that he would almost daily review and seek to live out. At the start of this calendar year, I’d like to invite you to consider one of these resolutions: be happy.

Now, if you are like me, you may have an eyebrow lifted at this point. Happy? If I am living my life for God, my goal should not simply be happiness, right? That is absolutely true! So, read the whole resolution on happiness: “Resolved, to endeavor to obtain for myself as much happiness, in the other world, as I possibly can, with all the power; might, vigor, and vehemence, yea violence, I am capable of, or can bring myself to exert, in any way that can be thought of.”

You see, Edwards was not pursuing happiness in this world but in the other world. The other world, namely, the kingdom of the beloved Son (Colossians 1:13). This resolution takes Psalm 16:11 to heart – “You make known to me the path of life; in Your presence there is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” It takes the beatitudes to heart: “Blessed [happy] are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied” (emphasis added). This resolution also takes Psalm 1 to heart which essentially says, “blessed [happy] is the man who walks not in all of the ways of this world but delights in and is committed to the path of the other world.”

Edwards recognizes one of the key experiential differences between the happiness of this world and the happiness of the other world. The fleeting happiness of this world is easy to come by. But when it comes to the happiness found in the kingdom of the beloved Son, Edwards acknowledges that he will use “all the power; might; vigor; and vehemence; yea violence, [he is] capable of, or can bring [him]self to exert, in any way that can be thought of.” I can’t think of a more vivid way to describe fighting for something. Edwards knows the alluring, fleeting happiness of this world. So, he must resort to violence in his fight against the flesh. Colossians 3:5 says to use extreme violence in our fight against the flesh: “Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.”

Our world is half-right when it tells us to pursue happiness. Pursuing happiness is good when that happiness is derived from the Lord. But when it is the happiness of this world, it is dead wrong to pursue.

So, I would like to once again encourage you in this new year: pursue happiness of the other world. Here are two tips for how you may go about this:

1.       Put to death the things of the flesh. You can reference the language used in Edwards’ resolution or Colossians 3:5 to see this principle. As fallen humans, our tendency is towards that which is easy and comfortable. This disposition must be starved, banished, destroyed – killed. This may mean:

a.      Fasting from: a meal or multiple meals on a regular basis; from social media (or deleting the account for good); from streaming services like Netflix; from activities, or hobbies that you have elevated above the Lord.

b.     Asking others to pray for you and check in on you.

c.      Removing apps and “dumbing” your phone down to combat sins like lust and sloth.

d.     Confessing and exposing sin to the Lord and others regularly.
 

2.      Fight for the joy that is yours in Christ Jesus. This may mean:

a.      Scheduling – in your calendar – regular time to encounter the Lord through prayer and in His Word. Guard and protect that time.

b.     Identifying characteristics like those found in the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5  or character traits to put on in Colossians 3:12; prayerfully seeking the Lord to grow you in those characteristics; intentionally taking steps to grow in those characteristics.



I can all but guarantee that as you find victory in putting to death the things of the flesh, and walking in the newness of life in the things of the Spirit, you will find the “happiness in the other world” that Jonathan Edwards was so resolved to attain.

So, as you begin this year, resolve to be happy… in the Lord.