4 Surprising Reasons Christians Are Happier People

1. We Suffer

Christians are not immune to suffering. In fact, suffering is an expectation. We're told in John 16:33 that we will have tribulations in this world, and indeed we do. There are Christians whose lives have been touched by disease, suicide, murder, divorce, homelessness, financial distress, mental illness, abuse, and assault.

There are Christians around the world who experience persecution, famine, war, and atrocities many of us can't even imagine. There are Christians around the world who choose to worship under penalty of death or threat of imprisonment. The depth of suffering many Christians endure is unimaginable. Why, then, are these suffering people happier?

The most basic answer is that we find our joy in the Lord, not our circumstances. But it's much more than that. I've never heard anyone say, "I've had the easiest life possible, and I've learned so many lessons along the way." Instead, I hear from fellow Christians how God has used their suffering to mold, shape, stretch, and grow them. God uses the sufferings in this life to make us more like his Son.

Romans 5:3-5 says, "But we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us." This makes being joyful in our suffering sound easy, but it isn't always.

The very definition of suffering is undergoing pain, distress, or hardship. Nothing about that is easy. Christians cry out in despair, struggle to get out of bed in the morning, fight depression, and carry the weight of affliction. And yet, by the power of the Holy Spirit, we can do this with joy in our hearts, knowing that we are being transformed into His likeness.

2. We Know How Broken We Are

I once had a woman tell me that she doesn't go to church because her life is too messed up and that Christians wouldn't know what to do with her. It was my pleasure to tell her not only how messed up my life is but also how messed up the lives of most people I know are. Christians don't have perfectly manicured lives. We have dysfunctional families, sin struggles, regrets, and ghosts in our closest that we wish weren't there.

The church is full of people who are broken by their sin. We can read historical accounts of men who served as guards in Nazi concentration camps who later came to know the Lord. There are men and women who came to know the Lord while being incarcerated for all kinds of crimes. We can read in Act 9 about Paul's conversion after he spent his life persecuting Christians.

The church is also full of people who are broken by the sins of others. There are men and women who know what it means to be abandoned, betrayed, victimized, and objectified. Sin never only affects the sinner, and our churches are full of people who know this all too well. In other words, the universal church is packed full of broken people. There's no denying this.

Why, then, does knowing how broken we are allow us to be joyful? Because not only do we know how broken we are, we know we've been forgiven. Romans 3:23 reminds us that "all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." We can find peace and joy in this truth because we know that "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9)

We also know that we have been made new. 2 Corinthians 5:17 tells us, "if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." This truth brings joy to Christians because we now find our identity in Him, not in the things that we have done or things that have been done to us.

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3. We Know Justice Will Be Served

We have all sinned against someone, and we have all been sinned against. Many people have stories of being lied to, cheated on, mistreated, manipulated, and abused—the list is endless. And while reconciliation is a reality for many, that isn't everyone's story.

I think of our brothers and sisters in other countries who live under persecution. Their families are often torn apart, and their very lives taken from them because of their faith. The persecutors never ask forgiveness or even show remorse. Regardless of where you live in the world, you are surrounded by people who carry unresolved scars.

My own family experienced this years ago when my brother was murdered. His murderers have not been convicted and have faced no consequences. These situations are heartbreaking, infuriating, and can be all-consuming. Yet, for the Christian, there is still joy to be found even amid injustice.

How is this possible? We can rest in Romans 12:17-19, which says, "Repay no one evil for evil but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord."

It's tempting, even for Christians, to want to take matters into our own hands, to execute justice, and, if we're being honest, get revenge. But when we're reminded that vengeance belongs to the Lord we can joyfully wait for His timing and judgment. We can rest in Revelation 21:5 and trust that He is making all things new.

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4. We Know Death Is Inevitable

Death is one of the great mysteries of life. What happens as we take our last breath? What does it look and feel like "on the other side"? Will we be reunited with loved ones immediately? I often wonder if I'll recognize the baby I lost over twenty years ago or if she'll know me. The questions surrounding death are endless.

Death is also a great source of anxiety for a lot of people. We live in a time of extreme technological advancement, and because of that, we have answers to virtually any question right at our fingertips. Yet, no Internet search will render hard answers to the question, "What happens when we die?" The unknown makes death seem frightening and mystifying.

Different religious groups throughout history have tried to answer the many questions surrounding death. The ancient Egyptians buried their dead with earthly treasures, assuming they could take them to the afterlife. Some believe we are reincarnated after death. Others believe nothing is waiting for us at our last breath other than dirt and worms.

How do Christians find joy in death? By knowing, through the power of the Holy Spirit, that death is not the end, but rather that it is the beginning of eternal life. Paul talks in Philippians 1 about his desire to part this life and be with Christ because that is far better. He says, "To live is Christ, and to die is gain." (v 21)

It's difficult to understand our human bodies resting, waiting to be resurrected and reconstituted. It's difficult to understand that our soul will enter the very presence of the Lord at the moment of our death. Yet our faith in His promises allows us to face death, in all its uncertainties, with joy and anticipation.

Despite the fact that I can see an inner joy in Christians that I don't see in non-Christians, I also know of Christians who live with mental illness and struggle to feel the inner joy that seems to come so easily to others. I also know different personality types who struggle to recognize and verbalize their inner joy.

If this describes you, don't be dismayed. I challenge you to think outside the box and find ways to describe what you feel when you contemplate your faith in Jesus. Do you feel gratitude? Do you feel humility? Do you feel awe and wonder? Inner joy can come wrapped in different packages and can be different shapes and sizes.

If you need help pinpointing the joy in your heart that only comes from the Lord, reach out to a trusted someone in your church family. Talk through what makes you feel connected to the Lord or how He reveals Himself to you. Ask Him to make John 15:11 a reality.

"These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full." John 15:11