Today, buried on page 8A of the Dallas Morning News came my answer to the question ‘what difference is their between happy and unhappy people.’ If I had known someone was doing a study I would have joined in on it long ago. Here are the results of the study, ‘unhappy people watch television more than happy people.’ People who describe themselves as happy watch television less than their unhappy counterparts.
How easy was that to figure out? Have you watched television lately? More channels for more doom and gloom, more unhappy people doing more things to make them unhappy. Though the study says that people who are happy do watch television they just do it less than those people who are unhappy.
If watching too much television is a signal of a person who is unhappy; then here are some stats from a professor in California that might explain why though we have more wealth than any other country in the world we find ourselves more depressed, dissatisfied and generally unhappy.
- Number of hours per day that TV is on in an average American home is 6 hours 47 minutes.
- Percentage of Americans who watch television while eating dinner: 66. (This one is a big deal for the American family that rarely eats together)
- Number of minutes per week that the average child watches television: 1,680. Average minutes per week that parents spend in meaningful conversation with their children: 3.5.
- Percentage of 4-6 year olds who, when asked to choose between watching TV and spending time with their fathers, preferred television: 54.
- Percentage of Americans who say they watch too much TV: 49.
It seems as though we Americans watch a lot of television but it is certainly not making us any happier people. We as Americans are obsessed with being entertained and escape; when we should be about being involved and in touch.
So what should we do, throw out all of our 2.46 televisions? By no means, we are simply looking for happiness in the wrong place. We need only turn to the right place. Let’s look to the Bible and find the proper blueprint for happiness. I will lay it out as simply as possible.
Happing is found by:
- Serving not sitting.
- Thinking of others first.
- Giving away not possessing.
- Worshiping the God of the universe instead of the Gods of this world. (Money, sports figures, entertainers, politicians, etc.)
Are you finding yourself tuned out instead of turned in to life? Finding life unsatisfactory and in need of some real escape? Are you searching for real happiness, the kind that last?
Jesus made the answer clear on how to find real life and with it real happiness. Matthew 10:39 says, ‘He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.’
Finding real happiness is not a spectator sport, to find it we must put down the remote and tune into the lives of others, using Christ as our example.
Scripture: Mark 8:34, “Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow me.” NIV
Matthew 20:28, “Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as ransom for many.” NIV
Luke 4:8, “Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.”
Prayer: Dear Lord, guide us to live our lives in search of real significance. Help us to find ourselves living instead of watching. We thank you for the example you have set before us. Guide us in finding life changing happiness which is real joy. We ask these things in the precious name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
