In A Model-Free Approach to the Study of Subjective Well Being, psychologists Carolyn Murray and Jean Peacock talk about the friendship-happiness connection.
“Contrary to the belief that happiness is hard to explain, or that it depends on having great wealth, researchers have identified the core factors in a happy life.
“The primary components are:
• number of friends
• closeness of friends
• closeness of family
• relationships with co-workers and neighbors.”
The authors said: “Together these features explain about 70% of personal happiness.”
We may consider ourselves to be rugged individualists, needing nothing and no one … and this may work for us most of the time. But let’s not forget that there is someone near you, someone you work with, someone at church, or someone you’re related to, whose life will be richer and fuller if you’ll take just one step in their direction.
Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near. (Hebrews 10:24-25)
© 2008/2024. This post originally appeared at PreachingLibrary.com
