Page 48 - EMCAPP-Journal No. 10

Comment to

“Psychological reasons

for avoiding happiness.

Reacting to happiness with

guilt and shame, feeling of Shannon M.

loneliness. “ Wolf, PhD, is the
Associate Direc-
tor for Counse-
ling Programs
The thoughts on why people sabotage their own as well as Professor of Counseling and Psy-
happiness by Olga Krasnikova raises an inte- chology at B. H. Carroll Theological Institu-
resting question: Are people chasing after that te. Dr. Wolf specializes in complex trauma,
which they have no hope of obtaining, or, when specifically in relation to domestic minor
they do grasp hold of it, do they quickly let it go, sex trafficking survivors. She continues to
lest it bring further disappointment? The au- research, write, and speak on trauma rela-
thor ponders on whether this phenomenon be- ted issues. Dr. Wolf is also the director of
longs solely to the Russian culture and she may Southcliff Christian Counseling Center in
be correct in her suspicions. Although many of Fort Worth, Texas.
the reasons for fearing happiness listed could be
found in any culture, a shared worldview of how Former article by Shannon you can see
happiness is viewed may be distinctly Eastern here:
European. For example, in many Western cul- http://www.emcapp.ignis.de/5/#/88
tures, being around someone who is not happy
tends make those around him or her feel un-
comfortable. In these countries, it is not socially
acceptable to show pain and suffering. This, of
course, creates a host of different problems.

The New Testament contains several passages piness and joy. Both in the Bible and in psy-
that urge Christians to be joyful no matter the chology, happiness is grounded in a set of cir-
circumstance. When Paul penned the letter to cumstances. For example, if a husband tells his
the early church, urging them to be filled with wife that she looks beautiful, and later that day
joy, he was chained in a prison cell. This was af- her boss offers her a promotion, and before she
ter he had been beaten on numerous occasions, even finishes her lunch, her son’s school calls
chased out of towns, and conspired against by and tells her how wonderful her son is and that
the Jewish people. This is the same man who all of his scores are excellent, that would likely
was responsible for the oppression of the early make her very happy. She would remain happy
church and aided in the murder of Stephen, a until someone said an unkind word or she re-
church leader. If anyone had cause to feel guilt, ceived news that someone dear to her was very
it was him. Following Paul’s faith in Christ, his ill. At that point her happiness would evaporate
letters to the early church make it clear that re- because happiness is an emotional response to
demption for the Christian is complete and ab- a situation or set of situations. It is even possib-
solute. The sin and shame are no more and the le for someone to be happy then sad within the
Christian is free to live a joyful life. same afternoon.

When looking at a biblical model of happiness, Joy, however, is more profound and lasting. In
one is faced with the distinction between hap- fact, one can experience significant suffering

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