Why You Should Become a Christian: Christianity Leads to Joy
Psychology, the way people think, has always been a
fascination of mine. Great care must be used by a Christian in this area, but
the concepts can often be redeemed. One of the most fascinating areas of psychology
is temperament theory.
Temperament theory can be traced back to
Hippocrates. It is undeniably imperfect, and some have even rejected the
theories altogether.
Many of us are very reserved in temperament. We were just made to be calm and quiet.
It might surprise those who know very little about
people like us that we want to be happy. Not just happy-go-lucky, smile all the
time, laugh at everything type happy, but truly happy.
We want to be happy in the sense of being “blessed”
or “delighted.” It might help to remind of the old adage, “Still waters run
deep.”
John Piper has been a great help to me in many ways.
His teaching has reinforced much of what I have learned about the way my heart
works.
God made us to live a moral life, and we should not
be surprised that moral living gives us joy. God forgives us of our sins in
Christ, and we should not be surprised that the love he has shown for us
results in joy.
This joy is at a profound level that can even
motivate us to give our lives over to suffering and death on Christ’s behalf.
The idea is not that our happiness is the greatest good; it is that we are made
for God’s glory. Living for His glory
gives us joy.
I have not found a worldview or religion that can
come close to Christianity in providing joy. This joy has led to great positive
changes in my life, and I will describe those changes in the next post.
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