Bella Vista Church of Christ
LIFELINES
November 14, 2001 Randall Caselman
Heart Conditioning For Happiness
Happiness is a heart condition. Good mental health is from the inside of us and is not dependent upon our current situation. The genuinely happy individual is one who has learned to control himself regardless of what is happening around him. Serenity is a fruit of the soul, not a result of outside circumstances. For instance...
Control your thoughts.
Solomon says,
As a man thinks in his heart, so is he. Paul admonishes,
Whatsoever things are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, and of good report: If there be any virtue, if any praise, think on these things. Isaiah writes,
Thou will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee. Paul says
we must put away every imagination that exalts itself against God and bring every thought into the obedience of Christ. Good mental health begins with what we allow or don't allow into our mind. Our mental fate is in our hands. We are the master of our mind.
Let go of the past.
Some of us aren't as happy as we could be simply because we will not forgive and forget. Dwelling on past failures and hurts will not change anything.
This one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind ... I press on. Isaiah recommends we move from being a victim to becoming a victor through consultation with a "good" counselor: Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Jesus will help us. Consult Him today!
Get rid of bitterness.
Thoughts of bitterness and hate have a way of crystallizing into habits of accusation and ugliness toward others. Those who condemn, find fault with, and gossip about others are only bringing hurt on themselves. The Hebrews writer says,
Any root of bitterness will cause trouble. Bitterness in our heart always results in a peaceless, restless mind. Don't allow bitterness to rob you of genuine joy.
Learn to be content.
Many of our problems stem from the fact that we are never satisfied. The Hebrews writer says:
Be content with those things that you have, because God has said, I will never leave you or forsake you. More things will not make us happy. Wasn't it Abraham Lincoln who said, "We are about as happy as we want to be?" Always wanting is never being satisfied.
Cancel the pity party.
All of us feel sorry for ourselves at times, but extended pity leads to depression. Look on the bright side. Count our blessings. Remember, David wrote,
Weeping may endure for a night but joy comes in the morning. Pity and joy are mutually exclusive. Choose joy!
A merry heart does good like a medicine.
Don't try to figure everything out.
Why are children sick? Why do parents die? Why terrorism in New York City? Why do planes crash? There will always be questions with no apparent answers. Trust God and put your faith in Him.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart; and lean not upon your own understanding. Know this... That
God promises to work all things out to our benefit if we love Him.
Resist the Devil.
God has given us the power to say "No" to sin and Satan. We must know that He promised us that we will not be tempted beyond that which we will be able to withstand.
Resist the Devil, and he will flee from us. Never give in. Fight back. God gives us the strength and the weapons. Put on the whole armor of God. Good mental health is not allowing Satan to control our thoughts.
Understand this world is not our home.
We are pilgrims here. This world is our temporary residence. We will spend more time in eternity than we will here. If this world is all we see, then we will become discouraged, confused, sad, anxious and fearful. But Jesus lives forever--so shall we. So, don't take this world so seriously... It will not last forever!!
God created us. We are His invention. We are off His drawing board. And He has given us the Instruction Manual on how to live healthy, happy, fulfilled lives. Let us listen to His counsel.
And the peace of God which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Randall Caselman
