I stumbled across an article on the National Geographic website this week, entitled, “Can religion make you happy? Scientists may soon find out.”

The gist of the article was that social scientists have discovered that people who are active in religious congregations tend to be happier than those who are unaffiliated or are inactive members of religious groups.

There were several reasons identified for the findings, but the bottom line remains, if you are active in your religious community, you have a better chance of being happy and flourishing in your life.

The researchers found the most interesting finding was that happiness wasn’t dependent on simply belonging to a community of faith. Instead, it was about being active in that community. What does it mean to be active? According to the research, being active means regular attendance, regular giving, and regular service.

 In a world that seems to be obsessed with the pursuit of happiness, this should be good news.

King Solomon writes In the book of Proverbs 17:22 “A cheerful heart is good medicine.”

According to National Geographic, one path to a cheerful heart is to be active in a community of faith; for most of you, that’s Cornerstone. 

You’re welcome.

Have a great week and remember: To see what is really possible, you will have to attempt the impossible.