Want To Be Happy? Give Your Life Away
By Rick Warren

“If you insist on saving your life, you will lose it. Only those who throw away their lives for my sake and for the sake of the Good News will ever know what it means to really live.” (Mark 8:35 LB)

God wired the universe so that happiness does not come from status, salary, sex, or success.

Happiness comes from service. God designed you to be happiest when you are giving your life away. Why? Because he wants you to become like him. It’s all about love!

“If you insist on saving your life, you will lose it. Only those who throw away their lives for my sake and for the sake of the Good News will ever know what it means to really live” (Mark 8:35 LB).

To have a happy heart, you have to practice service and generosity every day.

Matthew 20:28 says, “Even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many” (NLT).

Jesus came to serve and give. Those are the two things that will bring more happiness in your life than anything else, and they define what it means to follow Jesus. If you’re not serving, if you’re not giving, then you’re not following Jesus. It’s very simple.

God also wired the universe in such a way that the more you give yourself away, the more God gives to you and the more blessed and happier you are.

In Philippians 2:17-18, Paul says, “Your faith makes you offer your lives as a sacrifice in serving God. If I have to offer my own blood with your sacrifice, I will be happy and full of joy with all of you. You also should be happy and full of joy with me” (NCV).

Your faith makes you offer your life as a sacrifice and serve God by serving others. Sacrifice and serving are two of the keys to lifelong happiness — generously giving your life away for the sake of the Gospel.

Talk It Over

  • What makes you happiest in life?
  • Talk about a time when you experienced happiness through service or generosity.
  • How much of your time is spent on service? What are ways that you can serve others today?

For more Daily Hope with Rick Warren, please visit rickwarren.org

Habits of Happiness Study Kit

Now—more than ever—people are yearning for true happiness. In this brand new 6-session DVD study kit study called “The Habits Of Happiness” Pastor Rick Warren will teach you “exercises for a happy heart”, and offer biblically based ways to develop a perspective of contentment. Through this study, you’ll learn how to cultivate the transformational habits of gratitude, forgiveness, humility, and contentment, Relieve stress and conflict by staying focused on your God-given purpose. Stop comparing yourself to others. Release the pain of your past hurts. And grow deeper in your relationship with Jesus.

This devotional © 2016 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

You can also listen to Rick Warren on OnePlace.com.