We often think happiness is just one accomplishment or milestone away, but when we get there, we find that satisfaction doesn’t last. If we want enduring happiness, we need to instead focus on progress toward the things Jesus teaches that matter most.

When it comes to happiness, Jesus and social science research agree: it’s all about relationships. The way we nurture our relationships with God, family, friends, and nature can make us significantly happier, and it can make the world happier, too.

At Christmas, we come to the miracle of the incarnation, where the unknowable God takes on flesh. When God shows up, light drives out darkness, and love drives out fear.