Some people seek happiness in material things. Some people seek riches, power, knowledge, drink, food, worldly pleasures, thinking “If I only had that next thing, THEN I would be happy…” only to find that there’s always a ‘next thing’. Solomon tried it all and concluded in, “I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind.” (Ecclesiastes 1:14, NIV) Trying to find happiness in ‘things’ does not give lasting contentment.

To find real happiness, science tells us there are some key things we need in our lives. These include connections to other people and feeling like we have meaning in our lives – being a part of something bigger.

If we turn to the Bible we find that these things are reflected there as well. The Bible encourages us to band together: “Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken” (Ecclesiastes 4:12, NIV), to love one another “Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins…” (1 Peter 4:8, NIV) and to have hope and faith to help keep us anchored when life’s storms threaten to overwhelm us “We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.” (Heb 6:19 NIV)