--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Holiness, not happiness, is the chief end…" description: "\"Holiness, not happiness, is the chief end of man.\" — Oswald Chambers" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/006/oswald-chambers-205_chief_holiness-not-happiness-is-the-chief-end_1046057.png" --- # Holiness, not happiness, is the chief end of man. ![“Holiness, not happiness, is the chief end of man.” quote by Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/006/oswald-chambers-205_chief_holiness-not-happiness-is-the-chief-end_1046057.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/006/oswald-chambers-205_chief_holiness-not-happiness-is-the-chief-end_1046057.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/006/oswald-chambers-205_chief_holiness-not-happiness-is-the-chief-end_1046057.png) > “Holiness, not happiness, is the chief end of man.” [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Holiness is presented as humanity’s ultimate purpose, surpassing the pursuit of happiness. **In simple terms:** Being holy is more important than being happy. Key Takeaway Seek spiritual purpose over fleeting joy. Themes spirituality purpose ethics Mood reflective serious Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - personal growth - religious practice - life decisions - community service Key Concepts theology moral philosophy Questions to Reflect On - What does holiness mean to you? - How do you balance joy and moral duty? A Different Perspective Happiness can be a misleading goal if it neglects deeper meaning. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Chiefs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chiefs/) [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) [Holiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/holiness/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) ## Related quotes > [“Question: What is the chief End of Man? Answer: Man's chief End is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-w-tozer/question-what-is-the-chief-end-of-man-answer-man-s-chief-end-is-to/) [A.W. Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-w-tozer/) > [What is the chief end of man?-to get rich. In what way?-dishonestly if we can; honestly if we must.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/what-is-the-chief-end-of-man-to-get-rich-in-what-way-dishonestly-if/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [The more we devote ourselves to the pursuit of holiness and happiness, the less likely we will be on a path to regrets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dieter-f-uchtdorf/the-more-we-devote-ourselves-to-the-pursuit-of-holiness-and-happiness/) [Dieter F. Uchtdorf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dieter-f-uchtdorf/) > [Holiness is happiness; and the more you have of the former, the more you will undoubtedly enjoy of the latter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-angell-james/holiness-is-happiness-and-the-more-you-have-of-the-former-the-more/) [John Angell James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-angell-james/) > [Discipleship is the pursuit of holiness and happiness. It is the path to our best and happiest self.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dieter-f-uchtdorf/discipleship-is-the-pursuit-of-holiness-and-happiness-it-is-the-path/) [Dieter F. Uchtdorf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dieter-f-uchtdorf/) > [The search for happiness is one of the chief sources of unhappiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/the-search-for-happiness-is-one-of-the-chief-sources-of-unhappiness/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [Happiness is the chief material also in the construction of Utopias.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wyndham-lewis/happiness-is-the-chief-material-also-in-the-construction-of-utopias/) [Wyndham Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wyndham-lewis/) > [“The more we devote ourselves to the pursuit of holiness and happiness, the less likely we will be on a path to regrets. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dieter-f-uchtdorf/the-more-we-devote-ourselves-to-the-pursuit-of-holiness-and-happiness-2/) [Dieter F. Uchtdorf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dieter-f-uchtdorf/) > [Killing time is the chief end of our society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ugo-betti/killing-time-is-the-chief-end-of-our-society/) [Ugo Betti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ugo-betti/) > [My idea of man's chief end was to enrich the world with things of beauty, and have a fairly good time myself while doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-louis-stevenson/my-idea-of-man-s-chief-end-was-to-enrich-the-world-with-things-of/) [Robert Louis Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-louis-stevenson/) > [God has linked holiness and happiness; and what God has joined together we must not think to put asunder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-c-ryle/god-has-linked-holiness-and-happiness-and-what-god-has-joined/) [J. C. Ryle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-c-ryle/) > [The chief end for which He lived and died was to provide eternal redemption for mankind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-c-ryle/the-chief-end-for-which-he-lived-and-died-was-to-provide-eternal/) [J. C. Ryle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-c-ryle/) > [There's some end at last for the man who follows a path; mere rambling is interminable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-elder/there-s-some-end-at-last-for-the-man-who-follows-a-path-mere-rambling/) [Seneca the Elder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-elder/) > [“In the end, every man's life is but a tale told to him that's lived it, and to him alone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-willocks/in-the-end-every-man-s-life-is-but-a-tale-told-to-him-that-s-lived-it/) [Tim Willocks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-willocks/) > [The end of a man work schooling is marriage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshef-ibimodi/the-end-of-a-man-work-schooling-is-marriage/) Joshef Ibimodi ## More by Oswald Chambers > [“If we deliberately choose to obey God, then He will tax the remotest star and the last grain of sand to assist us with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/if-we-deliberately-choose-to-obey-god-then-he-will-tax-the-remotest/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [Realize that the Lord is here now, and the freedom you receive is immediate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/realize-that-the-lord-is-here-now-and-the-freedom-you-receive-is/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [You will never cease to be the most amazed person on earth at what God has done for you on the inside.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/you-will-never-cease-to-be-the-most-amazed-person-on-earth-at-what/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [When Jesus Christ shed his blood on the cross, it was not the blood of a martyr; or the blood of one man for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/when-jesus-christ-shed-his-blood-on-the-cross-it-was-not-the-blood-of/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [Sorrow burns up a great amount of shallowness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/sorrow-burns-up-a-great-amount-of-shallowness/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [“Let circumstances take you where they will, but keep drawing on the grace of God in whatever condition you may find yourself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/let-circumstances-take-you-where-they-will-but-keep-drawing-on-the/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [The goal of faithfulness is not that we will do work for God, but that He will be free to do His work through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/the-goal-of-faithfulness-is-not-that-we-will-do-work-for-god-but-that/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [We are in danger of forgetting that we cannot do what God does, and that God will not do what we can do. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/we-are-in-danger-of-forgetting-that-we-cannot-do-what-god-does-and/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [“It is a solemn thing, and no small scandal in the Kingdom, to see God's children starving while actually seated at the Father's table.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/it-is-a-solemn-thing-and-no-small-scandal-in-the-kingdom-to-see-god-s/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [“If my holiness is not drawing towards Him, it is not holiness of the right order, but an influence that will awaken inordinate affection…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/if-my-holiness-is-not-drawing-towards-him-it-is-not-holiness-of-the/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [“My spiritual history must have as its underlying foundation a personal knowledge of Jesus Christ. To be born again means that I see Jesus.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/my-spiritual-history-must-have-as-its-underlying-foundation-a/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [We always have visions, before a thing is made real. When we realize that although the vision is real, it is not real in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/we-always-have-visions-before-a-thing-is-made-real-when-we-realize/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [The lasting value of our public service for God is measured by the depth of the intimacy of our private times of fellowship and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/the-lasting-value-of-our-public-service-for-god-is-measured-by-the/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [The thing that awakens the deepest fountain of gratitude in a human being is that God has forgiven his sin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/the-thing-that-awakens-the-deepest-fountain-of-gratitude-in-a-human/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [The secret of the missionary is...I am His, and He is carrying out His work through me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/the-secret-of-the-missionary-is-i-am-his-and-he-is-carrying-out-his/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) [Explore all 922 Oswald Chambers quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) ## More Chief quotes > [It's not reasonable for companies that have chief executives and board members who are paid very considerable sums to subsidise low pay through in-work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boris-johnson/it-s-not-reasonable-for-companies-that-have-chief-executives-and/) [Boris Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boris-johnson/) > [Most of my writer friends are women, and they're all extremely talented, so of course I think the state of contemporary fiction for women…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jami-attenberg/most-of-my-writer-friends-are-women-and-they-re-all-extremely/) [Jami Attenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jami-attenberg/) > [No commander in chief would ever say, 'I'm not going to listen to the guys on the ground.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-mccaskill/no-commander-in-chief-would-ever-say-i-m-not-going-to-listen-to-the/) [Claire McCaskill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-mccaskill/) > [An Egyptian newspaper once publicly identified me as the C.I.A. station chief in Cairo. 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