Delighting in the Days....

Feb. 15, 2007 - Being Happy!

Proverbs 17:22 says, "A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones."

Did you know, studies have shown that happy people are generally healthier than unhappy ones, and they have also shown a connection between happiness and longevity?

The word for joy is found over 120 times in the New Testament in its various forms. There must be a reason. Christians should be joyful. Jesus didn’t come to make us miserable; the gospel is good news, not bad news. When Jesus was born the angel said, "I bring you good news of a great joy which shall be for all the people" (Luke 2:10).

The shortest verse in the Greek text is not "Jesus wept," but 1 Thess. 5:16, "Rejoice always."

Over the next week or so I would like to share some thoughts on being happy. This is not something I have achieved. It is a great desire of my heart, a goal I am reaching for. Much of what I will write comes from a sermon my husband preached a while ago. He called it, "On Top of the World".

To start off......

Happiness is a Choice

Abraham Lincoln said, "Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be." And I think that’s right.

My husband told me about an interesting man he read about it. This man was very much uneducated and somehow made it on a national talk show. He stole the show from the MC with his zest and happiness. The MC, recognizing he had lost the show, said, "Sir, how is it you have all this exuberance?" The man answered, "Well, you see it’s this way: each morning I get up and I have two choices, one to be happy and one not to be happy. And I ain’t as dumb as you think; it’s a lot more fun being happy so I choose to be happy."

It sounds so simple!

God's word tells us "rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice" (Phil. 4:4). The second aspect of the "fruit of the Spirit" is "joy" (Gal. 5:22). Joy is commanded and thus, it’s not just an emotion that comes from earthly circumstances that change from hour to hour. It is an attitude (a mind set) more than a feeling.

For most people, happiness is connected to chance. In fact, the root word for happy (hap) means chance. If the sun comes out, then they are happy. If they win the lottery, then they are happy. But not for Christians. Our joy is a deep inward joy that is based on things that are eternal; they do not change and they cannot be taken away from us by the world.

Let's choose to be happy! Choose Joy! Choose God!

Click here for Part 2

• Post A Comment!

Feb. 16, 2007 - Untitled Comment

Posted by meNmykids

Excellent choice of writing. I'm always telling my children that they have a choice, the hard way, or the easy. Life will still be life no matter what and there are big trials we all have to face, but we choose how we face them. Sure makes the choice seem easy. Just having God as my father should keep the smile on my face. Thanks
Gale

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Feb. 16, 2007 - Untitled Comment

Posted by henryteachers

I loved your post! It reminded me of PollyAnna--how she tried to make everyone glad and even convinced the preacher to use a glad text in his sermon every week. I look forward to reading your other ideas about having joy in this life!

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Feb. 16, 2007 - May I add to this a little?

Posted by jugglingpaynes

I find myself (for the most part) to be a happy person. My happiness is rooted in my thankfulness. I try to wake up thankful for a new day, for the sun when it shines, the snow when it covers everything in white, for the rain that nourishes the earth, etc. I'm thankful for each breath and for my family...you get the idea. It is a choice to be happy and it isn't always easy, but my contentment with what God has blessed me with helps me to focus on the good things in my life and understand that to everything there is a purpose.
Did that make any sense?
Peace and Laughter,
Cristina

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Feb. 16, 2007 - Wow

Posted by MOMflippedisWOW

What an awesome post, as it's just what I needed at this moment. I got to work, checked my email, found a comment from jugglingpaynes, which lead me to sign on to HSB. After reading her wonderful comics, something had me click your link.
WOW!
Thank you from the bottom of my heart, for reminding me that happiness is a choice I get to make ( not those around me ) everyday.
Vicki ~ learning to deal with everyday stresses

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Feb. 16, 2007 - Great Post!

Posted by callmekate

So true. Happiness IS a choice. I have reminded myself of this from time to time and it was nice to be reminded tonight! Thanks! I can choose to be happy because of my Saviour, not my circumstances. What a blessing!

Kate

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Feb. 17, 2007 - Untitled Comment

Posted by appleleaf

Hi Stacey,
I felt my spirits rise as a result of reading this post. I've heard or read that a happy, joyful heart attitude has been proven scientifically to send healthy messages to every cell of the human body. You're absolutely right.
Thanks for your comment. We've sold quite a few of our books through Koorong over the past six or seven years. We've found that they were able to sell more of my first novel, "Picking Up the Pieces" which is contemporary drama, than my current fantasy trilogy. Just the difference of genre I suppose.
Paula

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About Me

I am an Australian married to an American, currently living in the U.S.A. Join me as I strive to delight in the moments that make up our days and aim to have a happy family that loves God and serves others.