Jesus's 'Upside-Down' Kingdom Offers True Happiness, Says Crossway

True happiness, often elusive in a world chasing fleeting pleasures, is found by seeking God's kingdom and embracing Jesus's counterintuitive teachings, argues a new article from Crossway. The Christian publishing ministry highlights that Jesus's message, particularly from the Sermon on the Mount, presents an 'upside-down' way to fulfillment that contrasts sharply with worldly desires for service, status, and self-preservation.

If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world.

— C. S. Lewis

The article draws attention to Jesus's compassionate words in Matthew 6:33, 'Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.' This instruction, given in the context of encouraging his followers not to worry about material needs, underscores a fundamental principle of God's economy: prioritising the spiritual over the temporal brings deeper, lasting satisfaction.

Crossway points out that Jesus's kingdom operates on principles that often run contrary to human nature and societal norms. While the world values being served, Jesus taught, 'The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve' (Matthew 20:28). Similarly, the desire to be first is met with the surprising declaration, 'The last will be first, and the first last' (Matthew 20:16).

Furthermore, Jesus encouraged humility and childlike dependence, stating, 'Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven' (Matthew 18:3–4). This emphasis on selflessness, service, and humility is central to finding life, as Jesus famously said, 'For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it' (Matthew 16:25).

Cover of Jen Oshman's booklet, 'Why Is It So Hard to Be Happy?'

The article suggests that this 'upside-down' approach is not merely a set of instructions but a path empowered by the Holy Spirit. After his resurrection, Jesus promised his followers the Spirit, who 'changes us and helps us to desire God’s will' and empowers believers to 'trust, obey, and follow Jesus.'

The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve.

— Jesus

Drawing on the insights of C. S. Lewis, Crossway posits that the deep, often unsatisfied longing for happiness is a clue to our ultimate design. Lewis observed, 'If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world.' This suggests that true contentment is found not by seeking happiness in earthly pursuits, which inevitably lead to disappointment, but by aiming for the heavenly reality for which we were created.

The article, adapted from Jen Oshman's booklet 'Why Is It So Hard to Be Happy?', concludes that pursuing happiness apart from God and the way He designed us leads to demise. Instead, embracing Jesus's upside-down kingdom, which calls for sacrifice and selflessness, is the surest path to finding abundant, joy-filled life.

About Jen Oshman

Jen Oshman Official Website — Official website for Jen Oshman, author, speaker, and ministry leader, who writes for Crossway.

• Author, speaker, church planter’s wife, and mother of four.
• Has served as a missionary and church planter for over two decades on three continents.
• Currently directs women's ministry at Redemption Parker in Colorado.
• Author of 'Why Is It So Hard to Be Happy?'

About Crossway

• A not-for-profit Christian ministry.
• Exists to proclaim the gospel through publishing gospel-centered, Bible-centered content.
• Publishes the English Standard Version (ESV) Bible.

Crossway originally published "The Upside-Down Way to Happiness". Eden is sharing it to help connect you with their ministry.

Crossway — Official website for Crossway, a not-for-profit Christian ministry that publishes gospel-centered, Bible-centered content, including the English Standard Version (ESV) Bible.