Happy

How about that meme for a title picture?
Not speaking against positive thinking but It's easy to push thoughts forward without having much substance in reality or sensibility - why? because it resonates with people's desires. We WANT to be happy, so more often than not, we'll "LIKE" and jump on board with whatever we think will get us there fastest. The pic is probably more worthy of a discussion than outright ridicule, but if the source of your happiness is you, then I have a few ore more questions.
How’s your day going so far? Busy, boring….maybe a little bit of both? Seems we’re constantly categorizing our moments, days or seasons in life. Furthermore, it’s usually in an effort to apply the label of “Happy” or a having “good time.” Of course, it’s sensible and right to desire happiness when the alternatives are stress, conflict, disappointment, hostility, irritation….the list goes on and on.
When things aren’t happy or good, we can quickly switch gears into various combinations of anxiety, depression or flat out ‘fix-it’ mode.

Have you ever thought of the connection that exists between what you value and what you do in response to the situation if you don’t have it?
Some things are easy – if you don’t have a job that pays you according to the life you’re striving for, you may feel that the situation is futile or fruitless and you either handle this by sucking it up or putting a change plan in motion. Thing is, we have to be careful with what’s important to us - things that make us happy.

According to the world….meaning Facebook, most people’s concerns of happiness are centered on things like a comfortable life, romantic relationships, fun experiences, pictures of kids & pets, food, etc. I don’t have many friends who discuss money on Facebook, but I’m sure that having enough is still a pretty big deal to most people.
However, when these things are removed or otherwise affected to the point of ‘unhappiness’ our ship of satisfaction crashes horribly against the rocks of reality.

This speaks to the main point, which is our priorities. Here’s a sobering question we need to pose to ourselves on occasion – Are my priorities and the things that make(or keep) me happy as such in order to sustain (or boost) my own feelings of belonging, importance, relevance, esteem, etc. or am I concerned with things that matter most?

Here’s The Word:

Deuteronomy 8: 17 – 19 You may say to yourself, “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.” But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today. If you ever forget the LORD your God and follow other gods and worship and bow down to them, I testify against you today that you will surely be destroyed.

Luke 12: 19 - 21 And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.

So of course, I’m not calling the things that make us happy ‘evil’. The Bible calls God the giver of every good and perfect gift (James 1:17) so even financial wealth can be good and proper when prioritized rightly – just like all of the other good gifts our Father gives (comfortable life, romantic relationships, fun experiences, pictures of kids & pets, food, etc. ) ….that is, if we’re His children.

I think one of the most tragic things that occurs on earth is that unregenerate people prosper in almost every way imaginable. This fact can be very confusing to Christians who think that only good deserves good. Again, it’s a matter of rightly prioritizing. Unless they be converted, benefits to the ungodly are nothing but evidence testifying to their refusal to acknowledge a benevolent God, but they hold to our reward of greater eternal rewards and promises for us who are being saved. Now that’s a reason to be HAPPY!

James 5:1 - 3 Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten. Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire.

I'll close with these wonderful lyrics from an old hymn highlight the source of true happiness!

But we never can prove the delights of His love
Until all on the altar we lay;
For the favor He shows, for the joy He bestows,
Are for them who will trust and obey.
Trust and obey, for there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.


In Him,
Cros