What Is Your Choice For Today?

What Is Your Choice For Today?

Lincoln once commented, “A man is about as happy as he makes his mind up to be.”  The mind!  Oh, the mind.   Our minds can lead us in many directions.  It does seem to take a very conscious effort to guide our minds in a positive direction some days, in fact, most days.  I know.  I will often be going through my normal day with a “ho-hum,” sort of “just get this thing done, then move onto the next thing” attitude.  But if I stop to consider my frame of mind, I often realize that I’m not particularly happy or particularly sad.  Why?  Many times, it’s just because I’m not thinking about happiness.  It is at that moment I then consciously and on purpose make the decision to be happy, and I do feel happier then!  Really!  That’s all it took…to stop and think about how I’m feeling and making a conscious decision to feel one way or the other!

The Bible talks about happiness, so I feel it is very important subject matter to God.  Consider the following Bible verses:

·         “You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever.”  Psalm 16:11

·         “No wonder my heart is glad and I rejoice.  My body rests in safety.”  Psalm 16:9

·         “Give me happiness, O Lord, for I give myself to you.”  Psalm 86:4

·         “Make me walk along the paths of your commands for that is where my happiness is found.”  Psalm 119:35

·         “So I recommend fun, for there is nothing better for people in this world to eat, drink, and enjoy life.  That way they will experience some happiness along with all the hard work God gives them under the sun.”  Ecclesiastes 8:15

·         “What sorrow awaits you who are rich, for you have your only happiness now.”  Jesus said this in Luke 6:4.

·         “A glad heart makes a happy face; a broken heart crushes the spirit.”  Proverbs 15:13

·         “For the despondent, every day brings trouble; for the happy heart, life is a continual feast.”  Proverbs 15:15

·         “So go ahead.  Eat your food with joy, and drink your wine with a happy heart, for God approves of this!”  Ecclesiastes 9:7

·         “Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep.”  Romans 12:15

·         “Are any of you suffering hardships?  You should pray.  Are any of you happy?  You should sing praises.”  James 5:13

The Bible declares that we find our joy and happiness in having a right relationship with our Heavenly Father.  Without that right relationship (regularly spending time praying and reading more about Him, and just sitting still and quiet in His Presence worshipping Him), where is our hope, and what do we put our faith in, if not our Sovereign, All-Knowing, Always Loving God? 

This, again, has everything to do with our mind.  Do we stop in all our busyness throughout each and every day to think about God and all He has blessed us with?  We must in order to feel happy.  Many people wait for all their circumstances to be just as they desire before they will feel happy.  That’s a lot of waiting!  We can be happy regardless of our circumstances!  This is such awesome news!  “All things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to His purpose.”  Romans 8:28 tells us this.  But hold on!  What this verse does NOT say is, “Some things work together for good to those who go to church or for those who talk to God only when they are in need, and are called according to their own purposes, never considering or caring what God’s plan is.”  No!  It says, “ALL things work together for good to those who LOVE God!  Can you really love someone you don’t know well or who you don’t talk to often?  Now back to the verse:  “called according to “His” purpose” – “His” meaning God.  We can’t see the full picture, only God can.  We have no idea what our trials might mean—what they might teach us, how they might help someone else along life’s path.  Our job is to trust His purpose in all we go through and to trust He is by our side 100% of the time.  We can be happy through our trials if we are trusting that God is always there with us and is working things out. 

Does this mean we should place our happiness as our number one concern and priority?  No, I believe happiness is a by-product of trusting God and helping others.  For instance, let’s say you planned to go shopping and out to lunch with a friend one day, but another friend suddenly phones and says her baby is ill and asks you if you could please give her a ride to the pediatrician’s office in an hour.  Awww!  You were so happy thinking about shopping and lunch.  Here is where feelings get a little rough.  Can we, if we decide to help our friend with her baby, still feel happy?  Yes!  We will be disappointed about not shopping and going to lunch, but sacrificing that happiness can bring on a different kind of happiness…knowing you helped someone in a bind and that God is pleased with your selflessness.  You can go shopping another day, but your friend’s baby is sick today.  Your human mind wants to focus on what you gave up, but instead, meditate on God’s response to your kindness.  That will go a long way to having a better attitude in your circumstances.  It is all in what you allow your mind to think about—yourself and your own pleasure or the needs of others.

Make up your mind to be happy in God each and every day, and He will bless you with the peace that goes along with that mindset.  It’s all in the choice you make each day!