Pursuit of Happiness
John Locke is the English writer who in 1690 wrote, "The necessity of pursuing happiness is the foundation of liberty." He inspired the Founding Fathers to include pursuing happiness in the Declaration of Independence.
But Locke and others like Jefferson never believed achieving happiness was actually possible. Though we have the right to pursue it, happiness, they concluded, is elusive. Is happiness elusive because we can't achieve it or because we're pursuing it in all the wrong places?
Jesus had a much different idea about the pursuit of happiness. He turned the whole notion upside down. Blessed is the man who discovers His highway to happiness in the kingdom of God (Matthew 5:1-12).
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