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Introduction

When Charles de Gaulle, newly elected president of France, flew into England for a state visit in 1960, he brought his wife Yvonne. The politics of the day made the visit tense. The president was disgruntled that the Duchess of Kent was the only member of the royal family fluent enough in French to meet them at the airport. The attendant journalists did not help, but Madame de Gaulle was eager to please.

When they asked her, ‘What are your hopes for the people of Britain?’ the president’s wife did her best with her limited English. She replied, ‘I vont for every person in zis country to ave a penis.’ As the journalists stepped back with a gasp, Charles de Gaulle leaned forward and explained to his wife, ‘My dear, in England zey pronounce it happiness.’

I have started the book with this story because I want, for every person in this country, precisely what Yvonne de Gaulle wanted. (Let me clarify that! I want the thing she meant; not the thing she said!) And because of that, I have not only put my faith in following Jesus Christ, I have put my energy into sharing his Good News with as many people as I can. It is my belief that going through life accompanied by the living God can make you glad to be alive. Man, woman, child … you!

Not so long ago I asked someone from my church, ‘Are you happy?’

She replied, ‘No. But as a Christian you’re not meant to be happy, are you? Instead, I try my hardest to be joyful.’

‘What’s the difference?’ I asked.

As she floundered around and failed to think of an answer, I sensed her becoming tearful. And then I realized something important. When it comes to practical issues concerning the quality of your life, there is no real difference. A lack of happiness and a lack of joy are just as miserable as each other in a Christian life. But sometimes Christians feel confused or guilty that they do not have the happiness they believe God should be bringing them, and so they invent ‘joy’ as an alternative, gritting their teeth as they declare how hard they strive to achieve it.

That won’t do!

I want you to be happy. I want the company of Jesus to make you glad to be alive.

That is why I am pleased that you are coming with me on this forty-day journey to seek happiness. Each chapter contains some thoughts about how changes in your attitudes and habits could make a significant difference to how happy you are. I don’t promise that it will be easy, because it will affect every part of you – physical, emotional and spiritual. But I do promise that there will be plenty to enjoy along the way. All the stories are true, although occasionally I have changed people’s names because I don’t want to embarrass them. We will be accompanied on the route by the writers of the Bible and by inspiring Christians from history, who will be sharing their wisdom with us. And there will be practical suggestions and prayers as well.

One of my suggestions is that you talk about happiness with everyone you know. Ask people, ‘What makes you happy?’ Make it the most cheerful and talked-about subject for the next forty days. Write about it on your blog and on Facebook and Twitter. And if you want to tell me what you are discovering, contact me at be.happy.40.days@googlemail.com and I will do my best to reply.

My first prayer is that in forty days’ time you will be a happier person. If you are, it won’t be because this is a great book; it will be because we have a great God.