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Happiness Secret #5

Secret of happiness # 5

Speak the truth, all the time.

“Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices.” Col. 3:9

Lying leads to confusion for all involved; it destroys trust; it robs the liar and the “lied to” of the dignity we each are given.

To speak the truth in love is freeing.  As Jesus said, “You will know the truth and the truth will set you free.”  Telling the truth will also set us free.

To lie ensnares. It is hard to remember all your lies and eventually you will be caught.

The Germans have a saying, “Lies have short legs,” meaning they can’t run far and will be caught. Being caught certainly decreases our happiness!

Ask God for wisdom in speaking the truth  in love all the time, and you will be happier!

Picture: lying always leads to shame in the end:

May be art of 1 person

Secret of Happiness #4

Secrets of Happiness

  1. Count your blessings:
  2. Compare down:
  3. Distinguish between wants and needs:

and today:

  1. Do what you should:

Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous.” 1 John 3:7

When we avoid responsibility we may gain temporary happiness, but get long-term unhappiness.  Such avoidance then spills over into other areas  of life, making other people unhappy!

The person who does what he should, even though he feels like doing the opposite, is much happier than the person who indulges himself in some momentary pleasure while avoiding a responsibility.

Avoidance of responsibility is often disguised  in the phrase, “I wasn’t able to get it done.” However, an admission of “I chose not to do it” is more the truth.

I remember one of my students telling me, “I was unable to do my homework.” When I asked why he replied, “I had to go to a football game!”

Do what you know is right, don’t procrastinate, do the hard thing first—and you will be happier.

Picture: the “joy” of procrastination!

Secret of Happiness #3

Secret of Happiness #3

Distinguish between wants and needs:

“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.” Psalm 23:1

Advertising seeks to make us see our wants as needs.

Our true needs are actually few:

food and water,

air,

clothing and shelter,

and meaningful relationships.

Most things beyond that are wants which we can actually do without.

If we know that we have our actual needs met, and that our wants are actually optional, then we should be able to be more content with what we have.

A sign that we have confused the wants with needs is the often-used statement, “I just have to have it!”  In plane language, we are declaring something to be our idol, which is defined as “something I demand to be happy.” Idols never deliver for long, however, and then they become our masters.

One thing my father would say, “Remember, in a few years this is going to end up  on the trash heap!”

Be grateful for your needs being met; accept the extras, but don’t give your heart to them: they will not love you back!

Picture: focusing on wants instead of being thankful leads us here:

May be an image of 1 person and child

Happiness Hint #2

Secret of Happiness #2

“…be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” Hebrews 13:5

. Compare down, not up.

 

It is natural to compare ourselves with those better off than we are.

–If I have a bicycle, I compare myself to the person who has a car.

–If I have a Chevy, I look at the man who has a Mercedes.

–If I have middle range job, I look to the person who is an executive.

However, if we do the opposite, comparing ourselves with those worse off, then we get a much better perspective.  For instance, when it’s 95 degrees out and we are tempted to complain, think of people in Pakistan where it is 120 degrees with no air conditioning and the electricity often goes off at night, so no fans!

Instead lf complaining about what you can’t get,

–look at those living in Afghanistan or Sudan or Syria who have lost everything.

–Look at the person with no feet, or no sight, or no hearing.

—Look at the person who is dying of cancer and appreciate you health.

Comparing down brings perspective and can stimulate us to be thankful for what we have.

“… I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.”  Phillipians 4:12

Picture: content with little:

May be an image of 1 person, baby and corn

Secrets of Happiness #1

Everyone wants to be happy; this desire is what naturally drives us through each day.  Most people, however, take the wrong roads and only find fleeting happiness.  For the next seven days we will look at seven simple (although some are not easy) things we can all do which will increase our happiness.

 

  1. Count your blessings:

“Bless the Lord, O my soul and forget not all His benefits.” Psalm 103:2

This is a radical idea in a world where complaining is a full time occupation. To have an attitude of gratitude is going against the flow of the human tide, but it is to move towards what is true and good.

Each of us has many good things in our lives that we never think about: sight, hearing, hands that work marvelously and feet that support us, to name a few.  Each morning the sun comes up; each night it gets dark giving us time to rest.  Most here have clothes to wear and food to eat along with a place to sleep. Most of us can read and write. Most of us have some friends, the ability to share with them. Each of us have something that we are good at. And the list goes on. When you are tempted to complain, tell yourself ten things you ae thankful for.

We reinforce this when we are driving by playing the “alphabet game.” One of us starts with A, naming something we are thankful for that begins with the letter A. Then the other takes B, and so on. We always end up being more positive when we are done.

So stop complaining and start thanking, and watch your happiness increase.

Picture: Being thankful

May be an image of 1 person

Mercy Abounds

Some beautiful Truths from Psalm 103 about our Beautiful God, worthy of meditating on.

Note how important fearing God is (revering Him, honoring Him, fearing to disappoint Him).

The LORD is merciful and gracious, 

slow to anger, 

and plenteous in mercy.

 He will not always chide:

 neither will he keep his anger for ever.

 He hath not dealt with us after our sins; 

nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.

For as the heaven is high above the earth, 

sogreat is his mercy toward them that fear him.

As far as the east is from the west, 

so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.

 Like as a father pitieth his children, 

so the LORD pitieth them that fear him.

Picture: Merciful Jesus

 

May be an image of 1 person

And Why?

Why we should worship God (Yahweh, Elohim, Adonai)?

You, O God, are the One worthy of worship! “Shouts of joy and victory resound in the tents of the righteous: ‘The LORD’s right hand has done mighty things!’” (Ps 118:15).

You, Lord God, are incredibly Great,

completely Sovereign,

compassionately Gracious

and incomprehensibly Glorious.

Your balance of qualities is marvelous,

your perfection is magnificent,

your complexity is majestic.

In a word, you are Holy: you have no imperfection, no lacks, no foibles, no hang ups, no imbalance, no over-emphasis, no under development, no negatives.

Your individual characteristics seamlessly fit together, complementing each other, working in absolute harmony.

Your power acts out of love,

your decisions flow from wisdom,

your motives are formed in grace,

your mercy triumphs over judgment,

your wrath works with love,

your glory shines in goodness.

All that you accomplish is done, not just well, but perfectly, without error, without failure, without mistake. You are always right: your desires are right, your motives are right, your timing is right, your actions are right.

You are so great that you can see every detail in every second of every situation, right down to the sub-atomic particles involved.

You mind is so expansive that you can comprehend every implication of every decision, from the next second, right on into eternity.

You are aware of all that has and will happen in time. You always know what is best and will do it with perfect timing.

You are the God to be feared in awe,

to be loved in obedience,

to be honored in thanksgiving,

to be obeyed because of your wonderful, marvelous, overwhelming, beautiful, and perfect character.

To you be honor and glory in my life today and forever, for “The LORD’s right hand is lifted high; the LORD’s right hand has done mighty things!” (Ps 118:21).

Picture: God’s beauty and power seen in His creation.

No photo description available.

Light For All

You Lord, are glorious, clothed in garments of splendor and grace—rich, beautiful, gorgeous, lovely and majestic.

You are lofty, high and lifted up, powerfully overwhelming and wisely wonderful.

As the Word says, “He wraps himself in light as with a garment” (Ps. 104:2a).

Dressed in light,

you are radiant,

shining,

sparkling,

illuminating,

revealing,

glowing and glorious.

You, Lord, are light itself,

light to the core of your being,

hiding no evil,

covering no sin,

harboring no darkness,

for there is none of these to be hidden.

You are what you are:

good,

holy,

pure,

positive,

righteous,

just,

merciful,

wise,

patient,

firm,

unchanging,

inexorably loving.

In  the light of this glorious truth, we can only follow David’s example In Psalm 34:1,2 “I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.

Picture: Follow the Lord of Light!

May be an image of road and nature

Our Intimate God

“Praise the LORD, O my soul. O LORD my God, you are very great; you are clothed with splendor and majesty.”  Psalm 104:1

Praise be to you, my God,

the God of relationship,

of intimacy, of personality,

of interaction a

nd communication.

You, O Yahweh, I will praise with

my mind,

my will,

my emotions,

with my whole being;

without reservation I will exalt you.

You are worthy of worship for you are great:

you are mighty,

immense,

immeasurably expansive,

filling the universe with your presence,

knowing all,

seeing all,

performing all that is good.

In th light of your perfect, pristine character, Lord, may my attitude, my trust and my obedience give you the glory where my tongue fails. Honor and praise be to you, Lord Jesus, in my life today. Amen.”

Picture: HE fills the whole universe.

No photo description available.

The Beauty and Perfection of God

“Praise the LORD, O my soul. O LORD my God, you are very great; you are clothed with splendor and majesty.” Psalm 104:1

You, Lord God, are great because:

You are the God of goodness,

the Lord of Love,

the King of Kindness,

the Judge of Justice,

the Sovereign of the Supernatural,

the Highest of Heaven,

the Ruler of Righteousness,

the Protagonist of Purity,

the Adopter of antagonists,

the Transformer of truants,

the Spring of Spirituality,

the Spirit of Sanctification,

the Paragon of Patience,

the Terminator of time,

the Ender of the earth,

the Extender of eternity,

the Eliminator of evil

and the God of Glory!

You only are worthy of worship!

Words fail to express the greatness of your goodness,

the perfection of your personality,

the beauty of your being.

In response to your love,

I must fall before you in wonder and weakness,

rise up filled with the Spirit,

and  move into the day in obedience.

To you be glory and exaltation, joy and pleasure in my worship of you all this day long.

Picture: the beauty of God reflected in His creation.

May be an image of lake