For years, psychologists have been researching the concept of happiness, which is something we all strive for throughout our lives.
We work hard to accumulate wealth, to buy the house of our dreams, the car of our dreams, to provide the best education for our children, to travel to places we love.
We search for joy in our marriages, our children, our families, our jobs, our travels, and our vacations.
Ultimately, what we all want is to be happy.
For the last 11 years, I have been blessed to be married to the man of my dreams; my best friend, my companion and my source of inspiration.
Every single day, I am in awe of his kindness, intelligence and strength.
I am grateful for the life we have created together and look forward to the many years of love, laughter and adventure that lie ahead.
Our two precious bundles of joy bring so much laughter and joy to our home every day.
We cherish the time we have with them, even though we know that soon they will be off exploring the world with their friends.
I am the daughter of a strong mother that I am proud of and a sister to a caring, loving, and excellent brother who has been the spice of my life since childhood.
I am grateful for what the Lord has given me. He gave me far more than I deserved and I acknowledge that this is all His gift.
I didn’t do anything to get all this love around me.
This is not the only part of my life……
There are areas in my life where I struggle to stay on track.
Often my struggles can go far to rob me of the happiness of my life, to hide what the Lord has done for me, and to destroy my hope and trust in Him.
Jesus did not promise us a life without struggle. He himself was tested in all but sin.
Perhaps these are the few things that come to us along the path of happiness and joy, that we have received from the Holy Spirit.
An Ungrateful Heart
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!
Philip 4:4
Have you imagined these are the words of a prisoner?
Paul was in Roman prison when he wrote these beautiful words. Likely, he was expecting execution.
The joy he felt did not seem to depend on the circumstances in which he found himself. His heart seemed to be protected by the peace of God, which overcomes all circumstances and ups and downs.
Nothing makes us more bitter, selfish, and dissatisfied than an ungrateful heart. We complain about everything and look for happiness in what we see and where we are..
Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
We are not called to be happy or upset in situations.
When something goes wrong, we are told not to worry about it, but to bring it to Him through prayer and wait for His kind hand to work.
Things change. Or we get used to what we crave and after a while it becomes normal.
Each of us has our own struggles. It’s okay to have them around. We cannot escape trials and temptations.
It’s okay to be shaken from time to time as long as it doesn’t take away the joy we have from the Lord.
The peace that God gives us outweighs any sorrow or heartache we face.
An Uncontent Heart – More, Better, Bigger, …….Always
There doesn’t seem to be enough for an uncontent mind.
It is always looking for something more.
Discontentment mainly comes from when we seek happiness in the possessions we have in life.
Then it will never be enough.
The dream house will be normal after a while. Your dream job becomes a simple everyday life. A dream car is just a car that drives on the road. The dream salary will soon run out.
Happy moments quickly fade away.
And then you will want more. Bigger house, better salary, better job, new car,…
More, Better, Bigger, Always.
This will never end like a vicious circle. You come to the same point you have been before, dreaming for more and bigger over and over again.
It’s never enough unless you stop somewhere and be happy with what you have.
I’m not saying that dreaming big is a sin. It makes you think and brings out the best in you.
It is absolutely perfect in that it benefits not only you, but the kingdom of God and others.
Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,
Philpians 3:13
But if you’re doing it just to meet your and your own needs, your focus is entirely on you and yourself.
This produces a discontented heart, which according to 1 Timothy 6:10 of the Bible, pierces you with much grief and sorrow.
But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.
1 Timothy 6:6-8
Regarding our own needs, it is enough if we had the basics; something to eat and something to wear.
Anything more should be shared with others.
Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.
Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.
1 Timothy 6:17-19
We need to practice giving, sharing, and caring for others’ needs.
The attitude of me, myself and I will lead us to nothing but grief and dissatisfaction.
In Me You May Have Peace
I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.
John 16:33
This world is a world who rejected Love; an eternal love who made God human.
It is clear that we will have trouble too. We may face rejection, denial, dissatisfaction, hopelessness, etc.
Our only hope to stay happy and be in peace is Jesus. Given the daily ups and downs and struggles we face in our life, our only comfort zone is Jesus.
It hits my heart when Jesus says ‘I have overcome the world.’ No trouble, problem or anything is above his power.
We have hope.
He didn’t leave us alone in this world. He is always with us to guide us to a restful life.
All we have to do is trust in him, lean on him, and let him lead us.
When we feel overwhelmed, anxious, or defeated, let’s turn to Jesus. Let’s lay our burdens at his feet and let him carry us through. With him by our side, we can face any challenge and overcome any obstacle.
With him, we have everything we need and everything we could ever want. We have eternal love, eternal peace, and eternal life.
