Christian psychologist David Meyers, in his book The Pursuit of Happiness: Who is Happy—and Why, cites an interesting statistic—between 1957 and 1990 the per capita income in this country more than doubled. However, the number of Americans who reported being “very happy” remained the same—roughly, one-third. In other words, having more money and possessing more stuff did little to satisfy our deepest yearnings or fulfill our deepest needs.

Along these same lines, a recent survey showed that the number one experience now sought by Americans is no longer having “a loving relationship with someone else.” That was the top answer for many years. But it has been replaced—believe it or not—by “winning the lottery.”

Please don’t misunderstand: I’m not against playing the lottery from time to time as a recreational activity. (Although I once read that the odds of actually winning are about the same as a poker player’s chance of drawing four royal flushes in a row, all in spades—and then getting up from the table and meeting four strangers, all with the same birthday!)

My point is that more and more people seem to think that winning the lottery will automatically translate into a life of happiness and bliss. Actually, just the opposite is true. Surveys show that most folks are “less happy” after winning the lottery than they were before.

Jesus is very clear about this matter. Only God can bring us a life of joy and abundance—not money, or success, or fame, or beauty—only God. And the odds of achieving happiness by turning to God are guaranteed.