Happy Life
What does it take to live a happy life?
I was privileged to pastor a dear lady who had a horrific skin disease. This disease had disfigured her and crippled her. She was in constant pain.
She could have become bitter and angry at God, but instead she exhibited a sweet spirit that only God can give. She was quick to share how God saved her and made a difference in her life.
She would tell me,
“Just because I’m in pain doesn’t mean I have to be one.”
Wow.
She would say,
“Happiness is a choice so I choose to be happy.”
Being around her was convicting – she chose happiness no matter what.
Today what is it that upsets you?
Relationships?
Traffic?
Friends?
Money?
Sickness?
Ball games?
Remember this:
Just because you are having a bad day doesn’t
mean you need to impose it on others.
CHOOSE HAPPINESS.
As you face your world today, Today, remember these two thoughts, “Just because I’m in pain doesn’t mean I have to be one.” And “Happiness is a choice so choose to be happy.” The Bible says it this way in the book of Philippians,
“Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice.”
So as you face your world today, choose to be happy.
Sacrifice
I have a word for today.
The word is sacrifice.
Sacrifice is giving up something of value now
for something of greater value later.
The principle of sacrifice is used in sports – ask a baseball fan. It is willingly taking an out to get a run.
We see it in the Bible. In the Old Testament, we read in the first few chapters of animals being given as a sacrifice. These animals were of great value but they were used for greater spiritual value later on.
Sacrifice is giving up something great now
for something greater in the future.
The Bible tells us that we are to live a life of sacrifice, to give up something important now for something greater in the future.
What are you willing to give as a sacrifice?
- Can you sacrifice your time to help at church?
- Can you sacrifice your money to help further the gospel?
- Can you sacrifice your possessions to help someone in need?
Of course the greatest example of sacrifice is Jesus. He gave His life as a sacrifice for us. He gave up something great - His life - for you and your future.
Sacrifice is giving up something of value now
for something of greater value later.
Jesus sacrificed His very life so that we can experience life with Him eternally.
He sacrificed His all.
What can you sacrifice for Him?
I have a thought for you today.
The thought is:
Be the butterfly.
You probably know all about butterflies and how they start life as a caterpillar.
The amazing thing is, a butterfly is not just a caterpillar with wings, it is an entirely different creature.
When a caterpillar winds itself inside a cocoon a true metamorphosis takes place. The caterpillar is totally gone, and a brand-new creation emerges. It really is a miraculous part of God’s creation.
Today I want to encourage you to be the butterfly.
The Bible says if anyone is in Christ, you are a new creation. No longer a caterpillar, but a butterfly. To be the butterfly means to take our past circumstances, the bad decisions, our old way of thinking and our difficulties and to put them in the past and leave them there.
God has given you a new start, a new day to live for Him and for yourself.
The caterpillar spends his days crawling and grappling.
A butterfly soars.
Be the butterfly.
Don’t look back, look up. Today can be a new day for you.
Be the butterfly.
Planning
Each day we have a brand new opportunity to make plans to accomplish some great goals.
The Bible tells us in Proverbs 21 that “The plans of the diligent lead to plenty.” This means that planning is essential to success. Failing to plan is planning to fail.
What kind of goals will you set this year? How about getting better grades than last year? How about keeping a disciplined schedule, working out, or maybe developing a new focus at work.
Fix this, take care of that. There are always lots of things to do, but if we don’t take time to plan, then things will never get better and things will never get done.
Even spiritually, we need to have goals. How about reading a chapter or more from the Bible every day, increasing your prayer time by just one minute every month or memorizing one verse a month or even a week.
Just think about this; a year from now what will you wish you had started today? Let’s make some plans and carry them out.
Listen
Have you ever heard someone talking to you and then just a moment later wondered what they were saying or asked, “What am I supposed to do?”
It has been well said that God gave us one mouth and two ears because He wants us to listen twice as much as we speak. Well, that may not be the case but it is very important to listen.
Listening is not just hearing words or sounds. Listening is understanding. Everyone around us is trying to communicate, but often we are more concerned with what we are doing or with what we are going to say than listening to the actual words they are speaking.
Listening takes effort.
Listening takes focus.
Listening is important.
So, the next time mom or dad, or your husband or wife is talking to you – look at their face, hear their words, feel their emotions and really listen to what they are saying.
Listen not only with your ears, but with your heart.
Truly listening will change your home and change your life.
Eternity
I have a word for us today, and that word is eternity.
The word is from the old Latin word aeternitas which means without beginning or end. We can’t really even say that eternity is a really long time because in eternity, time doesn’t even exist.
The Bible uses this word 58 times to describe three main truths.
- The first truth is that God is eternal. Our God was, is and always will be. He is a God beyond any constraints of time.
- The second truth about eternity is for those that believe in Jesus. John 3 says that whoever believes in Jesus will not perish but have eternal
- The third truth the Bible communicates about eternity is that there is an eternal condemnation for those that reject Jesus.
It is our hope that you are headed for an eternal life with an eternal God. By believing on Jesus you can spend eternity – forever and ever and ever – with Him in heaven.
If you are not sure about where you will spend eternity, why not decide today.
If you ever have any questions about your eternity or have made a decision to follow Jesus, please email me at [email protected]