Often in counseling I ask the question, "Given all the positive and negative forces in your life, when you put it all together, are you basically happy?" When a person says, "No," I realize that we have work to do.

I believe that Jesus Christ is at the center of personal happiness and a successful life. To live a life favorable to him is to permit God’s Spirit to exert control over our lives. And if we permit his control of our lives, then his will becomes our will. And what is Christ’s will? Jesus once said, "I came that you might have life and have it more abundantly." His will is that we have happiness and purpose in life.

I would like to suggest what I call the three P’s to developing a relationship with God. They are: People, Prayer, and Pursuit. Sort of three P’s in a pod - the pod…