Do You Want To Be Happy?

What are you waiting for? Most people are waiting for something -- something "special" that will make their life great, so they can be happy.
Ask yourself: have others had this, and are they all happy? No, they're not, and it won't give you lasting happiness, either. Happiness is not determined by external circumstances, but by internal circumstances. Everyone chooses how happy they are by what they choose to think about. Your attitude is determined by your perspective, which is determined by what you think about -- your focus. You choose your focus, so ultimately, you are the one who chooses whether to be happy, or not.

Perspective is what the Beatitudes (Matthew 5) are about. Seeing a bigger picture than just this one small moment of time. (The Beatitudes are where Jesus explained how some are blessed, or happy -- even in difficult situations.) (The word we translate as "happy" in the New Testament is usually translated as "blessed.") You won't get happiness by chasing what the world has to offer. It has already been tried and found wanting. And, you will never be happy as long as you are self-centered.

A focus on self is guaranteed to prevent happiness. Right after Jesus performed the menial task of washing his disciple's feet -- akin to cleaning toilets today -- He told them: JOHN 13:15,17 ICB 15 I did this as an example for you. So you should do as I have done for you. 17 If you know these things, you will be happy if you do them. You will be happy if you help others. If you take your focus off yourself. That's what Jesus taught.

SAY THIS: I choose to focus on God and be thankful and happy.

Comments

... that saved a wretch like me.

my story is not much different from any other alcoholic or drug addict who is in recovery. we sought out a higher power because our Lives be came on manageable. through much self examination we came to understand our defects in character... we reached out to others for fellowship and mentoring. I, as many have, came to believe in Jesus as my higher power and five years ago I accepted Christ... I got into a church and started reading my Bible. I slowly developed a thirst for knowledge of God in His Word. my grandmother has been sending Christian books for years and I just shelved them, so I already had a decent size Christian library. I also be came a big watcher of Christian television. I tried out several different churches... looking for a place I could feel at home in. having had a big interest in philosophy and world religions in college, I had sampled from the religion buffet. I guess you could say I became ravenous with my new found faith. I read and listen to anything I could ge...

Blessed Are Your Baskets, Kneading Bowls And Nets!

Deuteronomy 28:5 Blessed Are Your Baskets, Kneading Bowls And Nets! 5“Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. In Bible times, reapers carried baskets on their backs to collect the harvest from the fields. They had to ensure that their baskets were strong and sturdy, so that what they collected would not fall out. The women of that day used kneading bowls to knead dough for making bread. If they used poor-quality bowls which broke easily, they would not be able to make bread. So baskets and kneading bowls in those days represented the means by which one got his tangible blessings. Beloved, your Father in heaven does not want you to worry about the means by which you get your blessings. Because of the sacrifice of Christ, He says to you, “Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl.” This means that if you are a cab driver, your cab will not break down on your rounds because God says to you, “Blessed shall be your cab.” If you are a businessman,...

Don't worry...Jesus Is Your Righteousness

ROMANS 5:1 NLT Therefore, since we have been made right in God's sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. God offers righteousness as a free gift to everyone who receives the Lord Jesus Christ. Righteousness means right-wise-ness, or being right. So righteousness is right standing, or good standing with God. It does not mean human "perfection." Righteousness is a gift from God -- not something you can earn or achieve. God simply declares that you are innocent, as far as He is concerned, because you believe in Jesus, and that makes you righteous. 1 CORINTHIANS 1:30 NKJ 30 But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God -- and righteousness and sanctification and redemption You ARE righteous if Jesus is your Lord. In fact, Jesus IS your righteousness. As a believer in Jesus, you will never be more righteous -- no matter what you do. Romans 3:10 is a well known verse on this...

THE WATERFALL OF GRACE

Search This Blog