Christian's Secret of a Happy Life

Hannah Whitall Smith's devotional classic emerged from the heart of the nineteenth-century Holiness Movement, written by a Quaker woman who had discovered what she believed to be the key to Christian joy and spiritual victory. Smith penned this work during a period of intense personal spiritual awakening in the 1870s, drawing from her own journey out of spiritual struggle into what she understood as a life of continuous faith and rest in God's promises.

The book's central argument is deceptively simple: the secret to Christian happiness lies in complete consecration to God coupled with unwavering faith in His ability to keep what has been entrusted to Him. Smith methodically dismantles the common Christian experience of perpetual defeat and discouragement, arguing instead that believers can live in a state of constant spiritual victory through what she terms "the life of faith." She distinguishes between the initial act of salvation and this subsequent life of faith, describing the latter as a complete surrender of the will to God followed by steady trust in His faithfulness. Throughout, Smith addresses practical obstacles to this life—doubt, discouragement, the role of feelings versus faith, and how to maintain spiritual equilibrium amid life's trials.

The work became one of the most widely read Christian books of its era, translated into numerous languages and selling millions of copies across denominational lines. Its appeal transcended the Holiness Movement that birthed it, speaking to Christians hungry for practical guidance toward spiritual maturity and emotional stability. Smith's accessible prose and psychological insight gave her theological convictions a broad hearing among both clergy and laypeople.

Who should read this: Christians seeking relief from patterns of spiritual defeat and discouragement will find Smith's approach both challenging and encouraging, though readers uncomfortable with perfectionist language or seeking nuanced theological analysis should look elsewhere.