Going to church will make you happy

Research shows that going to church regularly is a HUGE contributor to your wellbeing. By Chris Goswami 

How do you FEEL on Sunday morning … before church?

Many of us may view this question with some discomfort because we don’t feel as holy as we think we should. We have not been in prayer since 6am, we are not fired up with Holy Spirit, we are not really looking forward to today’s 25 minute preach however “well prepared”, we may need to employ superhuman feats of organisation and persuasion to get the family there on time, and …… well sometimes we’re just really tired; (yeah me too … and I’m the one preaching!)

If any of that is familiar to you then you may be pleasantly surprised by the conclusions of research that going to church regularly is a HUGE contributor to your wellbeing. 



“One of the most robust findings of happiness research is that people who believe in God are happier” Nick Spencer

There is of course some detail …
 

Having faith is good for you

Studies on this topic tend to disagree on the extent of this statement. They do not tend to disagree with the fact of this statement.

Some reports, such as the secular World Happiness Report commissioned by the UN state that religion enhances life-satisfaction but only in poorer countries in helping people to extract meaning from intense hardship and look forward to better times. However the report later adds that 75% of research does point to a positive effect of people’s faith, especially as a “stress buffer” for life’s most painful events like bereavement.

Other studies are much more positive.

“Research mostly into Christianity has found a correlation between life-satisfaction-measures and religious certainty” Prime Minister’s Strategy Unit, UK

Successive authors point to research that taking your faith seriously and regularly getting involved with other like-minded people provides a major boost to your wellbeing. As well as finding a sense of meaning and purpose to life, it has the side-effect of making us happier and therefore healthier. On the other hand, attending church for social reasons has limited benefit for our wellbeing.

This wellbeing benefit of faith is in addition to the benefits of community and social interaction. Simply being actively engaged in a community is in itself a contributor to wellbeing, but church brings together all three: faith, community works and social interaction.

Having faith good for your community

It has been recognised many times that faith communities as well as being good for their members are good for the wider communities in which they live. Nick Spencer* explains how in just one area of the UK some 5,000 community projects involving 45,000 religious volunteers had been identified, giving their time and talents freely – and it saves the Government money …

“Across the country, we have tens of thousands of fantastic faith-based charities. Every day they’re performing minor miracles in local communities”, David Cameron
(and he could have added: “…and it doesn’t cost the Government anything!”)



So, as well as getting involved in our local church, what else can enhance our sense of wellbeing? Or to put the question into the form many people ask: “How can I be happy?”

The problem with a term like “happiness” is that it is not well defined and the question “How can I be happy” is therefore a limiting question. Let’s move beyond the mythical happiness we see in those Boxing Day films, or we imagine happened in a distant childhood, and introduce instead the idea of “resilience”.

“Happiness can be a rather flimsy and escapist idea….. In contrast, the idea of resilience carries with it a tough earthiness and the capacity to bounce back from setbacks”
Ann Morisey

Developing resilience is not easy (it won’t happen overnight) but it is actually straightforward:
 

• Cultivate gratitude as a daily and momentary habit
• Intentionally engage in activities; having a positive impact on the lives of others
• And actively enjoy and contribute to the church community of which you are part

These 3 ways are easy to understand and none of them are beyond us. And in developing resilience I believe you will find along the way that you are, indeed, happy.

This blog is adapted from a short series of blogs from www.7minutes.net:

Buying Stuff Will Make You Happy …?
Relationships Will Make You Happy…?
Going to Church Will Make You Happy …?

Infographic: How to be Happy (coming soon)

*Resources: World Happiness Report, by The Earth Institute; Bothered and Bewildered by Ann Morisy; Doing God by Nick Spencer


Images: 
Shutterstock / 261732944 / 212384518 / 234353791 / 212343643
 

Chris Goswami is Director of Marketing & Communications at Openwave Mobility and is studying and training for ordained ministry in the Baptist Church. He blogs at www.7minutes.net where this article first appeared. It is republished with permission.