Stephen wrote the following review in 2015 of David Murray’s book The Happy Christian: Ten ways to be a joyful believer in a gloomy world:
If someone who had never encountered Christianity walked into your home or church, how would they describe the mood? That’s one of the searching questions David Murray asks in a book, which given its neon blue and yellow cover, looks at first glance like just another self-help resource. But behind its frothy exterior comes theological punch as a seminary professor marshals Biblical teaching, scientific research and his own personal experience as a ‘recovering sceptic’ to make the case that the Christian faith has too often been misrepresented by its friends, never mind its enemies.
He sets his sights on a siege mentality in the church, where sermons and prayers often sound more like discontented defeatism than inspirational calls to worship and serve. The Bible is the most positive book in the world – but Murray contends that the church has not always been successful in communicating the Bible’s uplifting and inspiring message.
The book starts with the good news that both the Bible and scientists agree that happiness is mostly not dependent on our circumstances (studies say only 10%). While 50% is based on genetics that still leaves 40% that we can do something about. But rather than going down the ‘Power of positive thinking’ route, Murray says the way to change things is not to believe in yourself more, but to believe in God more.
In a chapter on ‘Happy Media’, Murray points out the harmful effects of listening to a stream of negativity. Challengingly, he applies this not just to secular media but to those who teach God’s word. The reason a doctor can tell what an unhealthy heart sounds like is that he’s listened to 1000s of healthy ones. In the same way we should focus more on the truth than innumerable errors and heresies – and spend more time exalting Biblical marriage than highlighting the latest perversion of it.
In ‘Happy Salvation’ Murray tries to encourage us to stop being discouraged by never ending to-do lists and rest in our completed salvation provided by a Saviour who has already done it all and tells us: ‘It is finished’. God has given us a weekly reminder of this in the Sabbath, which we reject to our peril.
In the battle for happiness, involvement in church plays a key role. Murray points to Yahoo’s new CEO Marissa Mayer having banned all telecommuting as the lack of personal contact resulted in more loss than gain. Statistics show that those who attend religious services at least once a week have a 25% higher life expectancy than those who don’t, probably because church attendance increases social support, which is a proven life-extender. Murray also extols ‘Everywhere Grace’, reminding us that we shouldn’t just look for God’s grace in Christians. We shouldn’t be ashamed to use goods and services provided by non-Christians, or truth discovered by them.
This is a book which Murray would admit himself would not have been written if he hadn’t swapped Scotland for America, and he extols our transatlantic cousins’ ability to praise other people. ‘Scots don’t do praise’ he says. ‘Of God sometimes, but never of one another’. He seeks to unmask the sinful reasons behind this and urges us not to wait for one another, our churches or our children to be perfect before we praise them.
Murray also sets his sights on the ‘Gimme Generation’ (ie the generation most Messenger readers are part of!) whose failure to give their money and themselves is damaging charity, marriage and work, as well as being a poor witness to the secular world.
One of the biggest challenges many people find to being a happy Christian is their work, and Murray devotes a whole chapter to this area, showing that the most mundane job is as valuable as any other if it’s done for Christ. ‘The Lord’s work’ isn’t just something ministers do.
The tide of negativity in our thinking, relationships and churches is having a devastating effect, and Murray’s book is a helpful and invigorating corrective. Anyone could benefit from it and small groups could benefit from discussing and fleshing out some of the issues raised – and then holding each other accountable. Happily, of course!
For a review of Murray’s earlier book, Jesus on Every Page, see here.