Happiness is a choice...
The story is told of a man and woman who had been married for over 60 years. They had shared everything, except there was one secret in their marriage.
The wife had a shoe box in the top of her closet, and she had cautioned her husband never to open it and never to ask about it. He Never did.
But one day his wife got sick. It was determined that she would not recover. As they began to sort out her affairs, the husband took down the shoe box and took it to his wife.
They agreed that it was time that she should explain the box. When he opened it, he found two crocheted dolls and a stack of money totaling $25,000. He lovingly asked her about the contents.
She responded by saying “Just before we got married, my grandmother told me that the secret of a happy marriage was never to argue. She told me that if I ever got angry with you, I should just keep quiet and crochet a doll.
The husband was moved to tears, as he looked at the two dolls lying in the box. Only twice in all those years had his darling wife been angry with him.
He said, “But what about all this money? How did you manage to save all of this money?” “Oh” she answered, “that is the money I made from selling the dolls.”
The world does a lot of looking for happiness...people are constantly looking for things to make them feel better,
there is a lot of money spent by people to make themselves happy...there is a lot of money spent by other people making them happy.
Type in ‘happiness’ on Amazon.com and you’ll find 2,000 books on happiness.”
Does anybody remember the theme song from the Partridge family show?
Illus.
Hello world, here's a song that we're singin'
Come on, get happy
A whole lotta lovin' is what we'll be bringin'
We'll make you happy
We had a dream we'd go travelin' together
And spread a little lovin' if we'll keep movin' on
Somethin' always happens whenever we're together
We get a happy feelin' when we're singin' a song
That was written in the 70s and even as of late...there was a big hit on the radio called the happy song, have you heard it?
Because I'm happy
Clap along if you feel like a room without a roof
Because I'm happy
Clap along if you feel like happiness is the truth
Because I'm happy
Clap along if you know what happiness is to you
Because I'm happy
Clap along if you feel like that's what you wanna do
Written by Farrell Williams
If everybody wants to be happy…how's come
There are so many people that aren't happy?
The world has even created its own version of happy...it's called Happy Hour
A created time slot in the day when you just put off the cares and responsibilities of life and get happy...
you simply just forget about life for awhile.
You know some people...in fact a lot of people, even Christians could use an hour just like that at church...
a time where you let go of everything else and forget about all the
stuff on all of our minds and simply focus on Jesus,
Wouldn't that be something if we all came to church with one thing in mind to just simply focus on and praise the name of Jesus…
to many times, we bring what’s going on in our lives to church with us...
its not enough that we carry it with us every other place else we go....
The burdens of this world will suck the oxygen right out of you, they will take the wind right out of your sail, if you let them.
God knew there would be burdens in this world… That's why He made a way of escape for us in advance..
TBS. in Matthew 11:29-30 NKJV
29. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
When we come into the Lords presence and it should be numerous times
throughout the week...even numerous times daily
each time...it should be a time of refreshment for our soul, spirit, body and mind.
Only the devil and the world, could come up with an idea...
That the things offered by his world will make you happy.
Although we experience many things in the presence of the Lord...
I would have to say that the joy of the Lord, should always a continual one...
TBS. “the joy of the Lord, is my strength”
But for a lot of Christians it makes you wonder...
If you have so much to be happy about...
Why aren't you happy? where is the JOY???
Paul said there were 9 gifts of the spirit…
Charisma magazine says there are as many as 25 gifts of the Spirit...
I would add there are all those plus one more…
The gift of worrying... and while its certainly not a gift
Far too many people are way to fluent in the operation of it...
Somebody once said; I am worried about the economy, my hair is in a recession, my waist is in an inflation, and I am in a depression.
How do we define worry; to be or make anxious: to feel anxious about something unpleasant that may have happened or may happen...and I would add may never happen
Worry is when you think the problem is bigger than the promises and power of God...
which is never the case and could never be
the case...
so why would we think something so ridiculous could ever be possible??
Either we do not believe in God’s promises or we do not trust
in His ability to act on those promises...
You see… It's not about his ability, rather it's all about our ability
to just except and believe and trust that He will do what He says He will do...
God never panics...
He never stresses...
He is never surprised...
He never gets rattled...
so why should we?
Can anyone even remember what they were worried about
a month ago...a yr. ago... last week... or even yesterday?
Its kind of funny...but do you ever think twice about a situation after its been resolved?
So… Sometimes we have the gift of worry and sometimes we don't?
You mean we have the ability
to turn it on and off?
One things for sure… When we worry, it tends to override the power of the gift of happiness!
Remember....the joy of the Lord is our Strength!!
And I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!
We should Be anxious for nothing
1 Pet 5:7 NASB casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.
The bible tells us how we can achieve that.
Mat 6:25-26..34 Msg
25-26 “If you decide for God, living a life of God-worship, it follows that you don’t fuss about what’s on the table at mealtimes or whether the clothes in your closet are in fashion. There is far more to your life than the food you put in your stomach, more to your outer appearance than the clothes you hang on your body. Look at the birds, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, careless in the care of God. And you count far more to him than birds.
34 “Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.
So many people miss out on happiness in their life...because they are
so consumed with everything about their life....
instead of realizing how much thought
and care God put in to creating the life
that they're living...
There is not one need that will ever rise in someone's life...
that God has not already created the provision to meet that need! Amen??
1 Thess. 5:16-22 Msg
16-18 Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live.
19-22 Don’t suppress the Spirit, and don’t stifle those who have a word from the Master. On the other hand, don’t be gullible. Check out everything, and keep only what’s good. Throw out anything tainted with evil.
God in all his wisdom and perfection has created an amazing, abundant life that he wants mankind to live...
The accuser and the world has done the exact opposite, they only come to seek, kill, and destroy at all costs...
and only cause us to question Gods goodness towards us and all mankind...
Rather than question continually...we should be thanking God nonstop
Thanksgiving, is expressing gratitude to God for;
*who He is,
*what He has already done, and
*what He is about to do next.
That’s the exciting part...in a world that offers only doom and gloom
It's Exciting to see what God is going to do next...in all of our lives if we will only let Him
How do we know that God is going to keep his end of the bargain…
Because his word says He will...
Rom 8:28 NASB And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.
This verse applies to those who submit to God’s will...you have to be willing to go along with His plan and not worry about the outcome...Amen??
Be anxious for nothing...not one single solitary thing
So do we just pretend that sickness...and all of the obstacles
In life are not real?
No! All those things are real...that's why it's so easy for the devil to use them to his advantage
We have to make a choice to worry about NOTHING...and be willing to PRAY about EVERYTHING....THANKING God in advance knowing that He is able
This means we talk to God about everything that’s going on in our lives.
Some believe we should only take big problems to God.
Let me ask you a question- what do you think, is big to God?
None of our problems are big to God.(rpt)
Whatever matters to you matters to God...there is nothing
too small or too big to pray about.
When you make your requests to God...right then and there
thank Him for hearing and answering what's on your mind
God always hears us when we call on Him, we like to think...He should sometimes answer just as quickly.
God’s timing is not our timing...it will never be our timing...
He will answer just at the right time, as the old song says; He’s an on time God, yes He is!
TBS. Let your requests be made known to God
Mat 7: 7-11 Msg
7-11 “Don’t bargain with God. Be direct. Ask for what you need. This isn’t a cat-and-mouse, hide-and-seek game we’re in. If your child asks for bread, do you trick him with sawdust? If he asks for fish, do you scare him with a live snake on his plate? As bad as you are, you wouldn’t think of such a thing. You’re at least decent to your own children. So don’t you think the God who conceived you in love will be even better?
A Parents love for their child is amazing…
But its nothing compared to the love God has for his children
Unlike the accuser would have you believe…God only wants the very best for His children and nothing less...
There's no settling...This is always the way He feels, He hasn’t changed His mind, He’s not going to waiver from His decision.
TBS. He’s the same yesterday, today and forever.
We don’t have to wait to come to church to experience being happy in the Lord,
With Jesus its available nonstop...from the moment we wake
all through the day till the next...day after day!
It's up to us to make a choice...we can have as little or as much as we want in our lives...
Illus by Joel Sanchez
CARROTS, EGGS OR COFFEE
A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her.
She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling.
It seemed as though just as one problem was solved, a new one arose.
So Her mother took her to the kitchen...
She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to a boil.
In the first, she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil, without saying a word.
In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl.
She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her daughter, she asked, "Tell me what you see."
Carrots, eggs, and coffee," she replied. Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did, and noted that they were soft.
The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard boiled egg.
Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma. The daughter then asked, "What does it mean, mother?"
Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity: boiling water.
Each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting.
However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak.
The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened.
The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.
Which are you?" she asked her daughter.
Life is full of choices…
Choose to walk in the life that God
has given to you and experience everything He has for you to the full...
His joy will be your strength to see you through all the way to Glory!
Amen??
Let's pray!
