If you’ve ever heard the phrase, “God doesn’t want you to be happy; He wants you to be holy” - that might lead us to believe that happiness and holiness are mutually exclusive. That we have to choose one or the other because we think we can’t be both. The New Testament does teach that God wants us to be holy, but holiness and happiness don’t stand in opposition - it’s actually the contrary.
In Jesus most famous sermon (the one on the 'mount') He gives a description of a happy person and outlines what actually leads to happiness. Bringing us to the conclusion that happiness is an outcome, it’s a result. It’s about something ultimate rather than something immediate. Jesus tells us we “sow our way to happiness" as we follow Him.
