Happiness Guaranteed
Randall Caselman
12/10/97
Happiness Guaranteed
Happiness is a heart condition. Happiness comes from the inside and is not dependent upon our situation. The genuinely happy are those who have learned to govern themselves regardless of what is happening around them. Serenity is a fruit of the soul, not a result of circumstance.
Some Biblical suggestion for happiness:
Control our thoughts. Solomon says,
As a man thinks in his heart, so is he. Paul admonishes us to think on things that are
true, honest, just, pure, lovely, and of good report. Isaiah writes,
God will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Him. Paul says,
Put away every imagination that exalts itself against God and bring every thought into obedience to Christ. Happiness begins with what we allow or don’t allow to occupy our mind.
Let go of the past. Some of us are not as happy as we could be, simply because we will not let go of the past. 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. An attitude of bitterness and hate has a way of crystallizing into acts of ugliness toward others and a feeling of emptiness in our own hearts. The Hebrews writer says,
Any root of bitterness will cause trouble. Bitterness in the heart, always results in a peaceless mind. Never allow bitterness to rob you of happiness.
Learn to be content. Many of our emotional problems stem from the fact that we are never satisfied. Paul maintains that contentment is a learned state.
I have learned in whatsoever state I am in to be content. The Hebrews writer tells us how.
Be content with those things that you have. More
things will not make us happy. 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 your blessings.
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.
Never try to figure everything out. Why are children sick? Why do good men die? Why human suffering? There will always be questions with no apparent answers. Let us trust God and put our faith in Him.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart; and lean not upon your own understanding. Know that God promises He will work all things out to our benefit, if we love Him.
Understand this world is not our home. We are pilgrims here. If this world is all we have, then we will become sad, discouraged, confused, anxious and fearful. It's true, if this world is all there is then we, as God’s people, will be most miserable. But Jesus lives forever, so shall we. Rejoice!
Happiness is a heart condition. Our happiness is in our hands. We are masters of our mind. God has given us divine instructions on how to live happy, contented, peaceful, fulfilled lives. Let us listen to His counsel.
—
Randall Caselman
