What do you need to be happy? The answer, according to a study reported a couple weeks ago in the Wall Street Journal (paywall), is just a little bit more.

Those making less than $25,000 believe they will be happy when they are making $35,000. Those who had a median salary of $65,000 a year said that $95,000 would make them happy and less stressed. And the highest earners in the survey with a median salary of $250,000 believed that $350,000 would bring them happiness. (The full report by Empower is fascinating and is free to read). 

I do believe there is something to money solving problems, and thus increasing the chance for happiness. If you are struggling to pay for basic needs like food, housing, or electricity--and you have to work extra jobs away from your family to provide, then stress is likely to be high and happiness a struggle to find. 

But what is it about the human condition that even those who (arguably) have plenty of money still struggle with financial stress, and believe more money will bring more happiness? Why is it so hard to be thankful for what we have, and instead focus on what we don't have? I guess Luke called it out when he said, "Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in the abundance of possessions." (Luke 12:15)

We live in a society that is totally geared to make you want what you don’t have. We are exposed to as many as five thousand advertising messages every single day. That number is increasing. And nearly every message’s aim is to show you something you don’t have but probably “need.”

This is a problem we will likely never conquer. It will be with us for all our lives. But here are some practices I think are good antidotes to keep your want-monster in check. 

• Become a generous person. “One person gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty. A generous person will prosper” (Prov. 11:24–25). Generosity is the best antidote for selfishness and greed.

• Spend time with people who have less than you. Do what you can to lift others out of poverty. “Defend the rights of the poor and needy” (Prov. 31:9).

• Check out this "How Rich Am I?" calculator and enter your annual income. You will quickly understand how blessed you are. For example, a person making $40,000 in a year is in the top 2.9 percent of the richest people in the world.

Yes, there is something enticing about wanting what you don't have. Don’t beat yourself up for wanting stuff. That is human. There is nothing wrong with the temptation. But begin to develop practices of generosity.

Don't know where to start on becoming more generous? Donate to your local church, or start with a donation to one of these organizations I know and trust:

• Donate to Joppa -- a ministry that is being the hands and feet of Jesus to the homeless community in central Iowa.

• Donate to Generation Distinct -- an organization helping young adults find the wrong they were born to make right.

The only way to become more generous and combat your endless desire for more is to start being generous. Take a step today.