I write about Stuff

Philippians 3:7–9 gives us a window into the heart of Paul—a man who had achieved status, learning, and religious prestige, yet came to see all of it as worthless compared with the surpassing value of knowing Christ. His words remind us that following Jesus is not about what we give up, but about what we gain. Many Christians speak of what they left behind when they came to faith, but when you look closely, most of what we surrender are things that were weighing us down—guilt, emptiness, loneliness, fear, and the false promises of a life lived on our own terms.

Paul understood this deeply. He wasn’t lamenting what he had lost; he was rejoicing in what he had found. Everything he once prized now seemed like rubbish compared with the joy of belonging to Christ. This is a vital truth for anyone growing in spiritual maturity: real happiness is found in God, not in the things we cling to.

Psalm 119:1 says, Blessed are those whose ways are blameless. The word blessed can also be translated as happy—literally “happy, happy.” It’s a joy that runs deeper than emotion, deeper than circumstance. And Scripture consistently links this kind of happiness with holiness. Not perfection, but a life oriented toward God, shaped by His Word, and lived in step with His Spirit.

The world tells us to chase happiness directly—to pursue whatever feels good in the moment. But Scripture teaches the opposite. Happiness is not something we grasp; it is something we receive as a by-product of seeking holiness. When we pursue God, when we align our lives with His ways, joy follows. Not the shallow happiness that fades with the weather, but a soul-deep contentment that endures.

Peter echoes this in 1 Peter 1:14–16, urging us to live as obedient children, not slipping back into old patterns but embracing the call to be holy as God is holy. Holiness is not about rule-keeping or self-righteousness. It is about becoming more like Christ—loving what He loves, turning from what harms us, and allowing His Spirit to shape our desires.

God didn’t create us for a thin, fleeting kind of happiness. He created us for holiness, and in holiness we discover the richest kind of joy—purpose, hope, peace, and fulfilment. When we seek God first, we find that the happiness we longed for was waiting for us all along.

If you desire true happiness, seek the holiness of God. Only then will you be “happy, happy.”

What about you

What does pursuing holiness look like in your life right now, and how might God be inviting you to take a deeper step into His joy?