https://www.thevillageatlanta.com/happy/ A recent survey conducted by the American College Health Association, found that 52-percent of college students reported feeling hopeless. It wasn’t just feeling sadness, depression, or anxiety, the majority of college students reported feeling HOPELESS. Each year since 2012, the United Nation publishes a study called the “World Happiness Report.” The report outlines the state of world happiness, causes of happiness and misery, and how governmental policies impact the wellbeing of people. The United States is ranked 18th on the list. Australia is number 10, Canada is number 7, and Finland is number 1. At the ivy league university, Yale, the most popular course in its history is called PSYC 157: Psychology and the Good Life. Conceived and taught by Professor Laurie Santos, PSYC 157 is a class that teaches students how to be more happy. In church we talk more about joy than happiness because joy flows from the inside out. We think of joy being more spiritually sourced. Happiness is tied to the word, “happen,” so we think it’s externally sourced. We think it’s less spiritual because we think it’s feeling good based on what happens to us. The Bible has a lot to say about joy. In fact, one of the fruits of spiritual life is joy, but the Bible has a lot to say about happiness too. Acts 13:52: Because of the abundant presence of the Holy Spirit in their lives, the disciples were overflowing with happiness. 2 Corinthians 1:24. It speaks to what we do here at the Village. “It isn’t that we are trying to control your faith [that’s between you and God], but we are working WITH you for YOUR happiness, because you stand firm in your faith.” At the Village, we say we’re here to get better so we can do better so we can be better. In my heart that word “better” is synonymous with the word “healthy.” We’re here to get healthy so we can learn to do healthier things, so we can ultimately BE healthy people. Join us Sundays at 11AM for the rest of this summer to learn what the Bible AND science has to teach us about being happier, healthy humans.
Tags: happiness , science of happiness
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