Have you heard that there’s an ancient secret that promises to “unleash your hidden, untapped power” and “bring joy to every aspect of your life”? People who have tried this “secret” claim you can attract health, wealth, and success in your business and your relationships, simply by thinking happy thoughts. All you have to do is ask, believe, and receive.

But is it really that simple? And do health, wealth, and success really bring happiness?

According to the Bible, there IS an ancient secret that will bring joy to every aspect of your life. But it’s not about grasping and gaining, it’s about giving and losing. Jesus said, “Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it” (Matthew 10:39). He was telling his disciples to follow his example—to lay down their lives for others—as he was about to do on the cross. They needed to be willing to sacrifice and to serve. They had to let go of their egos, their pride, their selfish ambitions. As they surrendered their lives to God and looked to him for his purpose—his plan for them—then they would find true love, true peace, true joy.

And Jesus practiced what he preached. He gave up everything he had in this life to gain something far more precious to him—a relationship with each one of us. The Bible tells us our sin separates us from God; it acts like a barrier between us and him. But Jesus found a way to cross the barrier. He paid the penalty for our sin and took the punishment in our place. He laid down his life, so that he could give us ours.

For centuries, people have scoffed at this “secret.” To some, the message of the cross is foolishness. But those who have believed it have experienced the power of God to transform their hearts and minds, their whole lives.

Now, the Bible doesn’t promise us a perfect, pain-free life here on earth; we live in a fallen world full of sinful, selfish people—including ourselves! Bad things will happen, no matter how positive our thinking may be.

But the Bible does promise that God will be with us, that he will give us the strength to overcome the challenges we face, and that he is able to bring good out of even the worst things that happen to us. The Bible also promises that we can look forward to living in a perfect world someday—a world we call Paradise or Heaven.

Of all things, the steps to the real secret begin the same way:

Ask: Not some mysterious force in the universe, but the God who created it. Ask him to forgive you for the ways you have failed him, yourself, and others. Admit that you aren’t able to live the kind of life that pleases him all on your own. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

Believe: God loves you so much that he sent his one and only Son to die on the cross for your sins. He wants you to be restored to a right relationship with him. “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31).

Receive: This most important relationship of your life. “To all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12).

In all the universe, there is no greater joy, no greater happiness than living in his love. That’s the experience of those who know the real secret.