(Since my own vehicle is in my mind, it would be difficult to take a picture of the exact car.)
I'm sure you understand. Remember, my car is painted lavender and decorated with delicate green vines.
The car in the photo has special memories for me because my son, J, and I did Vacation Bible School dramas in it as a team many years ago. We had the most fun going through the car wash! "Our" car has been preserved all these years and is now making a come-back on stage as part of the Edinbrook Sunday School's current theme, which is in their curriculum for the year:
Pit Stop . . . Pull over for Gratitude Adjustment!
Pit Stop . . . Pull over for Gratitude Adjustment!
So come with me today as we use our Happiness Key to open the door to our Pit Stop where we'll take a Thanksgiving Break to check and see if our Gratitude Tanks need to be filled!
Oh dear, mine is getting low. It's good I pulled over and stopped! Sometimes my tank gets low when I find myself taking for granted all the blessings God immerses me in each day of my life. So many in this world don't have a warm, comfortable bed to sleep in, a fresh, hot shower every day, the privilege of choosing basically any food they want from the shelves of a local grocery store. May God give me a thankful heart this Thanksgiving season and the desire to share His gracious, bountiful gifts with others.
I wasn't sure whether to entitle this blog "Happy Thanksgiving" or "Happiness is . . . " because, you see, happiness is so tied in with thanksgiving. When I think about all the good God gives me, I have to really struggle to remain unhappy. And, believe me, the effort is not worth it!
Do you remember that little song of years back?
"Happiness is to know the Savior,
Living a life within His favor,
Having a change in my behavior,
Happiness is the Lord.
Real joy is mine,
No matter if tear drops start,
I've found the secret,
It's Jesus in my heart!"
So what is Happiness/Joy and how do we get it?
First of all, I have heard many people complain that God doesn't want them to be happy.
I read a passage in my daily Bible reading today from John 15 where Jesus is talking to His followers. He has told them "As the Father has loved Me, so have I loved you. Now remain in My love. If you obey My commands you will remain in My love . . . I have told you this so that My joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. " John 15:9-11
God wants His children to be full of joy. In fact, joy is one of the fruits of His Spirit, a gift to those who put their trust in Him. Happiness can be a fleeting emotion, sparkling on top of the stream of life, whereas joy flows deeper, providing the sustenance of our stream and producing currents hold us up and provide direction through life.
So, as the little song says, how can we find happiness/joy in our daily lives?
Let's take it line by line:
1. "Happiness is to know the Savior." Joy is a by-product of the relationship we have with our heavenly Father, through faith in Jesus Christ. One of the greatest secrets of happiness is that when we stake our lives on His goodness and mercy, even if everything in our world seems to crash to the ground, we can depend on the knowledge that we have a future in heaven where we will experience the state of constant, total joy forever.
2. "Living a life within His favor." In the Bible verse I quote above, it states, "If you obey my commands, you will remain in My love." When we obey God's commands (which are given for our own good, for example: God forbids us to steal partly so no one will steal our stuff!) we live without the bondage of guilt that takes the joy right out of our lives. Guilt is a huge joy-stealer.
3. "Having a change in my behavior." When I choose to live the way God wants me to live I feel at peace with Him. When I focus on trying to make other people happy, they usually respond to my consideration of them, which gives me pleasure.
4. "Happiness is the Lord." The Bible says, "Rejoice in the Lord . . . " Philippians 4:4a
He alone is the source of real joy!
5. "Real joy is mine." Here we will focus further on the difference between joy and happiness. As human beings living in this fallen world, we cannot expect to exist in a state of constant happiness. Normal life is full of ups and downs. "Christian women (and men) can go through periods of depression and still have an underlying sense of peace, knowing that God and His purposes are greater than our emotions. Our faith is based on truth, the certainty of His Word, not our feelings." (taken from The View From Eternity, written by myself.)
Happiness does not mean a life with no problems. Jesus said "In this world you will have trials and tribulations, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." John 16:33b
Now I need to check my tank for my own Gratitude Attitude.
1. Do I belong to God? Am I sure I am His child? Am I aware of and expressing thanks to God for all that He gives me?
2. Am I trying to please my loving heavenly Father by obeying Him?
3. Am I focusing on trying to make others happy? A passage in Isaiah 58:6-11gives us a prescription for finding happiness during those gloomy days when we try to fight off feelings of self-pity or loneliness. Verse 10 states:
"And if you give yourself to the hungry,
and satisfy the desire of the afflicted,
then your light will rise in darkness, and your gloom will be come like midday."
Note that last verse especially, "Your gloom will become like mid-day.' Picture our gloomy expressions replaced with sunny (mid-day) faces because of the satisfaction we find when we help others!" (Taken from The View From Eternity, written by myself.)
4. Am I looking to God, prioritizing my relationship with Him, expecting Him to fill my "joy" tank?
5. In spite of my circumstances, am I training my mind to know contentment? Have you ever felt discontent, greedy and happy at the same time? Or contented and unhappy at the same time? Neither combination works, does it? Philippines 4:8 gives us the formula for "Happy thinking." A great passage to memorize!
This Thanksgiving, and afterwards, let's pour our lives into pleasing God and making other people happy. Then we'll see our Gratitude tanks filled to the brim and overflowing!
I wasn't sure whether to entitle this blog "Happy Thanksgiving" or "Happiness is . . . " because, you see, happiness is so tied in with thanksgiving. When I think about all the good God gives me, I have to really struggle to remain unhappy. And, believe me, the effort is not worth it!
Do you remember that little song of years back?
"Happiness is to know the Savior,
Living a life within His favor,
Having a change in my behavior,
Happiness is the Lord.
Real joy is mine,
No matter if tear drops start,
I've found the secret,
It's Jesus in my heart!"
So what is Happiness/Joy and how do we get it?
First of all, I have heard many people complain that God doesn't want them to be happy.
I read a passage in my daily Bible reading today from John 15 where Jesus is talking to His followers. He has told them "As the Father has loved Me, so have I loved you. Now remain in My love. If you obey My commands you will remain in My love . . . I have told you this so that My joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. " John 15:9-11
God wants His children to be full of joy. In fact, joy is one of the fruits of His Spirit, a gift to those who put their trust in Him. Happiness can be a fleeting emotion, sparkling on top of the stream of life, whereas joy flows deeper, providing the sustenance of our stream and producing currents hold us up and provide direction through life.
So, as the little song says, how can we find happiness/joy in our daily lives?
Let's take it line by line:
1. "Happiness is to know the Savior." Joy is a by-product of the relationship we have with our heavenly Father, through faith in Jesus Christ. One of the greatest secrets of happiness is that when we stake our lives on His goodness and mercy, even if everything in our world seems to crash to the ground, we can depend on the knowledge that we have a future in heaven where we will experience the state of constant, total joy forever.
2. "Living a life within His favor." In the Bible verse I quote above, it states, "If you obey my commands, you will remain in My love." When we obey God's commands (which are given for our own good, for example: God forbids us to steal partly so no one will steal our stuff!) we live without the bondage of guilt that takes the joy right out of our lives. Guilt is a huge joy-stealer.
3. "Having a change in my behavior." When I choose to live the way God wants me to live I feel at peace with Him. When I focus on trying to make other people happy, they usually respond to my consideration of them, which gives me pleasure.
4. "Happiness is the Lord." The Bible says, "Rejoice in the Lord . . . " Philippians 4:4a
He alone is the source of real joy!
5. "Real joy is mine." Here we will focus further on the difference between joy and happiness. As human beings living in this fallen world, we cannot expect to exist in a state of constant happiness. Normal life is full of ups and downs. "Christian women (and men) can go through periods of depression and still have an underlying sense of peace, knowing that God and His purposes are greater than our emotions. Our faith is based on truth, the certainty of His Word, not our feelings." (taken from The View From Eternity, written by myself.)
Happiness does not mean a life with no problems. Jesus said "In this world you will have trials and tribulations, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." John 16:33b
Now I need to check my tank for my own Gratitude Attitude.
1. Do I belong to God? Am I sure I am His child? Am I aware of and expressing thanks to God for all that He gives me?
2. Am I trying to please my loving heavenly Father by obeying Him?
3. Am I focusing on trying to make others happy? A passage in Isaiah 58:6-11gives us a prescription for finding happiness during those gloomy days when we try to fight off feelings of self-pity or loneliness. Verse 10 states:
"And if you give yourself to the hungry,
and satisfy the desire of the afflicted,
then your light will rise in darkness, and your gloom will be come like midday."
Note that last verse especially, "Your gloom will become like mid-day.' Picture our gloomy expressions replaced with sunny (mid-day) faces because of the satisfaction we find when we help others!" (Taken from The View From Eternity, written by myself.)
4. Am I looking to God, prioritizing my relationship with Him, expecting Him to fill my "joy" tank?
5. In spite of my circumstances, am I training my mind to know contentment? Have you ever felt discontent, greedy and happy at the same time? Or contented and unhappy at the same time? Neither combination works, does it? Philippines 4:8 gives us the formula for "Happy thinking." A great passage to memorize!
This Thanksgiving, and afterwards, let's pour our lives into pleasing God and making other people happy. Then we'll see our Gratitude tanks filled to the brim and overflowing!
No comments:
Post a Comment