Moral Obligation to be Happy

We have a Moral Obligation to be Happy - Dennis Prager

My question is this: Was Jesus happy (I am not refering to the Jesus comment above either) when he was here on Earth?

I just don't think our goal in life is to be happy--it is to serve and love others. I serve my country, yet it is a sad time for me since we are now reading Maranda Rights to terrorists overseas and we are no longer fighting a war against terrorists--we are relegated to police, watching the terrorists, and no longer allowed to act to protect civilians--even in Afghanistan. I watch as convicted child rapists are given 1 year in prision with time served released in Oaklahoma. I watch as our country falls further from economic security and morality--as we mourn the death of a celebrity child molester. I think Jesus would be sad for us sinners, for America which has such great potential, and and for the majority of humanity which runs from His love instead of embracing it on a personal level. No, I disagree with Dennis Prager--happiness should not be our goal in life--love should be our goal...even if it hurts us deeply and makes us sad. Happiness is for the life in heaven after our brief time here on Earth.

After all my bible reading (while admittedly looking through the prisim of Lutheranism in the LCMS or "catholic light" where everything we do is sinful and we should all feel guilty--creating some of the saddest churches I've ever seen...even on Easter Sunday) I did not get the impression that Jesus was "happy" all the time. He seemed content with his meager living as a carpenter's son and travelling teacher. He seemed sad when his disciples and others let Him down. He seemed to act out of love for us and was sad to know He would have to die for us. Even in Jesus' time there were wars, slavery and other acts that were not uplifitng--but Jesus focused on His earthly mission instead. My understanding is that we will find true happiness in heaven and that should be our motivation to remain faithful on earth. In today's world, it makes me sad that I am attacked daily: my faith by non-believers, my country by Islamic terrorists, and my belief system by the media--while Christians are taught to just "turn the other cheek" instead of fighting back or fighting for what we believe in to at least hold our ground. We are constantly attacked by abortionists, athiests, anarchists, etc. but we just let them continue to attack us--our lack of a collective Christian backbone also makes me sad. In some modern churches, the "happiness factor" is so over-emphasized in that if you go to these "super churches" all your problems will "be solved" and you will be happy. I do not subscribe to this philosophy and I do not see the biblical basis for this line of teaching. I think God is loving and just and rightous--it is NOT His role as my Father to make me happy--it is His role to love me and be sad for me when I fail--and be happy for me when He succeed's through me. I get your point JudgeBob and JBodine--and you are correct in your assessment that Christians need to be happier to gain more believers--a worthy endeavor and the exact opposite of the Islamic faith taught in madrassas around the world. I'm just pointing out that faith in the One true God is tough and I do not see the goal of earthly happiness specifically stated in scripture.