Hoping for Happiness by Barnabas Piper

Hoping for Happiness by Barnabas Piper

Everyone wants to be happy, and we all pursue happiness in different ways. Some people are thrill-seekers; others are homebodies. Some people are loners; others love big families or communities. Some people express things creatively; others consume what is created. Some sing; others listen to music. Whatever we find happiness in, we are united by our desire for work that matters and relationships that fulfil.

As Christians, we often fall into the trap of basing our hopes on earthly things, even when we know they only make us happy for a short time. But how are we to experience happiness in this life? How do we avoid expecting too much of earthly things and being disappointed, or expecting too little and becoming cynics?

In this book, recovering cynic Barnabas Piper helps us to throw off both the unrealistic expectations that end in disappointment and the guilty sense that Christians are not meant to have fun. He shows how having a clear view of the reality of the fall and the promise of redemption frees us to live a life that's grounded, hopeful and genuinely happy.

The Pastor's Kid: Discovering Your Own Faith and Identity and Help My Unbelief: Why Doubt Isn't the Enemy of Faith are both written by Barnabas Piper. He co-hosts the popular Happy Rant podcast and contributes to a variety of media and websites, including The Blazing Center. Piper lives in Nashville and is on staff at Immanuel Nashville. He talks often at churches and conferences across the country.