“I don’t mean to say I am perfect. I haven’t learned all I should even yet, but I keep working toward that day when I will finally be all that Christ saved me for and wants me to be. No, dear brothers, I am still not all I should be.”
Philippians 3:12-13 (TLB) Humble people are happy people. They never stop growing and learning. The Bible says, “Test yourselves to make sure you are solid in the faith . . . Give yourselves regular checkups. You need firsthand evidence, not mere hearsay, that Jesus Christ is in you. Test it out. If you fail the test, do something about it” (2 Corinthians 13:5-9 The Message). Do you give yourself regular checkups? Try this: Wake up every day and ask God, “What do I need to work on today?” This takes humility, but it’s a habit that will lead to happiness. Paul knew the importance of humbly growing and learning. He wrote in Philippians 3:12-13: “I don’t mean to say I am perfect. I haven’t learned all I should even yet, but I keep working toward that day when I will finally be all that Christ saved me for and wants me to be. No, dear brothers, I am still not all I should be” (TLB). When Paul wrote this Scripture, he was an older man in prison in Rome. He was at the end of his life. He was an incredibly mature person. Yet he said he hadn’t arrived. If anybody had the right to say, “I’ve arrived spiritually,” it would be the guy who wrote so much of the New Testament. But Paul said, “No, I haven’t arrived. I’m still growing, learning, and becoming more like Christ.” Pride is the trap that so often keeps Christians from following Paul’s example and continuing to grow in Christ. Why? Because when you think you’ve got it all together, you won’t make an effort to become more spiritually mature. Humility, on the other hand, leads to happiness because it makes you teachable. Happiness and humility go together because they cause you to ask, “How can I be a better spouse? How can I be a better friend? How can I be a better boss? How can I be a better follower of Jesus?” When you aren’t asking these questions, you’re missing out because you’ve stopped growing—and God made you to grow. Take a step toward happiness today by humbly praying Psalm 139:23-24: “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!” (ESV).
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“Don’t worry about anything.”
Philippians 4:6 (NLT) Work doesn’t keep you up at night; worry does. In the Bible, God gives clear direction about the role worry should play in your life. Philippians 4:6 says, “Don’t worry about anything” (NLT). Why do you need to let go of your worry? Worry is unreasonable. Here are a couple of reasons why that’s true. First, worry exaggerates the problem. Have you noticed that, if somebody says something bad about you, the more you think about it, the bigger it gets? Second, worry doesn’t work. To worry about something you can’t change is useless. And to worry about something you can change is a waste of time; just go change it! Worry is unnatural. No one is a born worrier. You might think you are, but you’re not. Worry is something you learned. Since worry is unnatural, it’s also unhealthy. Your body wasn’t designed to handle worry. When people say, “I’m worried sick,” they’re telling the truth. Doctors say that a lot of people could leave the hospital today if they knew how to get rid of guilt, resentment, and worry. Proverbs 14:30 says, “A peaceful heart leads to a healthy body” (NLT). Worry is unhelpful. Worry cannot change the past, and worry cannot control the future. All it does is mess up today. The only thing that worry changes is you. It makes you miserable! It’s never solved a problem. Worry is unnecessary. God made you, he created you, he saved you, and he put his Spirit in you. Don’t you think he’s going to take care of your needs? There’s no need to worry. Want to learn to better manage your stress? A great first step is to refuse to worry about anything. Why? Because worry is unreasonable, unnatural, unhelpful, and unnecessary. The Bible says, “You can throw the whole weight of your anxieties upon him, for you are his personal concern” (1 Peter 5:7 PHILLIPS). God personally cares about you and for your needs. So what should you do with all those things you’re stressed, anxious, and worried about? Let them go. Give them to God. “Everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.”
Philippians 3:8 (NLT) Every day when you wake up, you need to remind yourself of what counts and what doesn’t count. Don’t be distracted by things that are insignificant and petty. Why is it important to remind yourself of what matters? It’s easy to lose your joy over some small thing. In fact, it’s usually the small irritations—not the big issues—that cause you to lose your happiness. Somebody cuts you off when you’re trying to make a turn, and you lose your happiness. The clothes you put on don’t fit anymore, and you lose your happiness. It’s the little things that sometimes affect people the most, and yet they don’t really matter. Paul said in Philippians 3:7, “I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done” (NLT). What was the most important thing in your life before you met Jesus Christ? Was it your career? Making money? Maybe it was getting a date or being popular. Paul said all those things are “worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord” (Philippians 3:8 NLT). Here’s a good question to ask when you’re distracted by worthless things: How much will this matter in 100 years? Many things won’t even matter tomorrow, much less for eternity. All the things you used to care about don’t even compare to the joy that comes from having a relationship with Jesus. When you become a Christian, Jesus changes your values. You no longer want to do the things you used to do. He changes your “wants.” When God comes into your life, you learn the joy of knowing Jesus. And that’s what really counts. “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NIV) In many cultures around the world, people set aside certain days or seasons for giving thanks. But God wants you to be intentional about your thankfulness every day. He wants you to develop this spiritual habit, one that is reflected in the life of a radical believer. The more deeply you understand God’s love, the more grateful you’re going to be. What does it mean to be radically grateful? The Bible says in 1 Thessalonians 5:18, “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (NIV). In every circumstance give thanks—because it’s God’s will for your life. That’s radical gratitude. How can you be thankful even in difficult circumstances? You can thank God in every circumstance because he is in control. He can bring good out of evil. He can turn around the worst mistakes you’ve made. No matter what happens, God isn’t going to stop loving you. You can find a hundred things to be thankful for in any circumstance, even when the circumstance stinks. Radical gratitude—being thankful in all circumstances—is God’s will because it creates fellowship. What do I mean by that? Gratitude always builds deeper relationships between you and other people and between you and God. If you want to get closer to someone, start expressing gratitude to that person. Maybe you’re feeling distant from your spouse. You’ve lost that lovin’ feeling because you stopped doing the things that created that lovin’ feeling early on—and now you take each other for granted. Start doing what you did when you were dating: Express gratitude. Write little notes of kindness and encouragement. Call or text during the day, just to tell your spouse that you’re thankful for them. Do you want to build your small group? Don’t just go to your gathering. During the week, contact the people in your group. Say, “I’m grateful for you, and here’s why.” You’ll find that the more grateful you are for your group, the more your group will bond. Let us “enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations” (Psalm 100:4-5 NIV). “You must get along with each other. You must learn to be considerate of one another, cultivating a life in common.”
1 Corinthians 1:10 (The Message) Happiness isn’t a matter of luck; it’s a matter of learning. To live a happier life, you need to learn how to work well with others. This is the skill of collaboration. It’s an important skill not often taught in schools, but when learned, it can exponentially increase a person’s happiness. What do you need to learn in order to work well with other people? First, learn to cooperate with others. The church in Philippi sent a man named Epaphroditus to help Paul while he was in prison in Rome. Philippians 2:25 says, “I feel that I must send Epaphroditus—my brother, coworker, and fellow soldier—back to you. You sent him as your personal representative to help me in my need” (GW). By calling Epaphroditus his brother, coworker, and fellow soldier, Paul was using three relational metaphors that represent teamwork. Life together is a family, a fellowship, and a fight. Epaphroditus was a team member. He didn’t shut himself off from the world and become a lone ranger. As believers, we are in the same fight together against Satan, so we need to cooperate with one other—no matter how different we all are. The best place to learn how to do that is in the church. Second, learn to be considerate. Paul mentioned Epaphroditus again in Philippians 2:26: “He has been longing to see all of you and is troubled because you heard that he was sick” (GW). Notice how Paul used two examples of consideration: Paul was considerate of his coworker’s homesickness, and Epaphroditus was considerate about the Philippians’ concern. When you learn to be considerate of other people’s needs, fears, and doubts, you’ll be a happier person. For instance, if you are considerate of your spouse, you’ll have a happy marriage. But if you’re not thoughtful with your words and actions, you’ll have an unhappy marriage. The Bible says, “You must get along with each other. You must learn to be considerate of one another, cultivating a life in common” (1 Corinthians 1:10 The Message). “Cultivating a life in common” takes work. Like a garden that requires cultivation to bear fruit, you’ll see how your effort bears the fruit of happiness and strong relationships. “If you insist on saving your life, you will lose it. Only those who throw away their lives for my sake and for the sake of the Good News will ever know what it means to really live.”
Mark 8:35 (TLB) God wired the universe so that happiness does not come from anything the world has to offer. Happiness comes from service. God designed you to be happiest when you are giving your life away. Why? Because he wants you to become like him—and he gave himself away in love. It’s all about love! “If you insist on saving your life, you will lose it. Only those who throw away their lives for my sake and for the sake of the Good News will ever know what it means to really live” (Mark 8:35 TLB). To have a happy heart, you have to practice service and generosity every day. Matthew 20:28 says, “Even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many” (NLT). Jesus came to serve and give. Those two things will bring more happiness than anything else in your life, and they define what it means to follow Jesus. If you’re not serving, if you’re not giving, then you’re not following Jesus. It’s very simple. God also wired the universe in such a way that the more you give yourself away, the more God gives to you and the more blessed and happier you are. Is your heart growing more generous every year? Are you more generous with your resources this year than you were a year ago? Or are you stuck at the same level of generosity and wondering why you’re also stuck in unhappiness? In Philippians 2:17-18, Paul says, “Your faith makes you offer your lives as a sacrifice in serving God. If I have to offer my own blood with your sacrifice, I will be happy and full of joy with all of you. You also should be happy and full of joy with me” (NCV). Your faith compels you to offer your life as a sacrifice and to serve God by serving others. Sacrifice and serving are two of the keys to lifelong happiness as you generously give your life away for the sake of the Gospel. “What happiness for those whose guilt has been forgiven! What joys when sins are covered over! What relief for those who have confessed their sins and God has cleared their record.”
Psalm 32:1-2 (TLB) Feeling guilty or ashamed can cause you to lose your happiness. You’ve got to get rid of guilt and maintain a clear conscience if you want to be happy—because you cannot feel guilty and be happy at the same time. Philippians 2:15 says, “Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people” (NLT). Have you noticed that a jeweler will always put diamonds on black velvet when showing them to a customer? That’s because they shine brighter against a black backdrop. As cultures crumble and the world becomes darker and darker, Christians are to shine brighter and brighter. You are to live such a life of integrity and authenticity that when people look at you, they say, “You are a star!” The happiness that comes from a clear conscience will be hard to miss. You might say, “I’d like to be happy, but how do I keep my conscience clear when it’s not clear right now?” You do what Psalm 32:1-2 says: “What happiness for those whose guilt has been forgiven! What joys when sins are covered over! What relief for those who have confessed their sins and God has cleared their record” (TLB). Happiness, joy, and relief are three things everybody’s looking for in life. We all want to be happy. We all want to enjoy life. We all want relief from our pain. The Bible says it all comes from purity, and purity comes from forgiveness through God’s grace. So how do you keep a clear conscience? At the beginning and the end of every day, do a spiritual inventory. Talk to God about anything that is standing between you and him, and then deal with the junk from your day. When we confess our sins, “he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9 NIV). “Do not be interested only in your own life, but be interested in the lives of others.”
Philippians 2:4 (NCV) When you walk into a meeting, how many people are sitting there, looking at their phones, texting or scrolling social media? Our heads seem to be always down, engrossed in a video or game, and our earbuds keep us from hearing the people near us. It’s so easy to sit in a restaurant with friends yet be more concerned about our “friends” on Facebook or Twitter or Instagram. You may be hanging out with two friends, but you’re more focused on tweeting to 100! Then you’re worried about how many people are retweeting it or liking your post. It’s all about you instead of the people God has placed right in front of you. We live in a world where our tools and technology have left us perpetually distracted and trained us to no longer pay attention to the people in our lives. If you want to have happier relationships, you need to learn the lost art of paying attention. The Bible says in Philippians 2:4, “Do not be interested only in your own life, but be interested in the lives of others” (NCV). This doesn’t come naturally, does it? Based on your nature, you may not care what someone else is interested in. Based on your nature, you usually want the attention on yourself, not the other person. But the greatest gift you can give somebody is your attention—because your attention is your time, and your time is your life. You’re never going to get your time back, and that’s why it is so precious when you give it. This is a simple but powerful tool in growing strong relationships. Are you interested in what your kids are interested in? Do you listen to what your partner has to say? Do you give your coworkers your attention when they speak to you? Do you notice your neighbors as you walk by their home in the morning? Learning the lost art of paying attention is an act of love. It will transform your relationships and help you live a happy life. “If by continuing to live I can do more worthwhile work, then I am not sure which I should choose. I am pulled in two directions. I want very much to leave this life and be with Christ, which is a far better thing; but for your sake it is much more important that I remain alive. I am sure of this, and so I know that I will stay. I will stay on with you all, to add to your progress and joy in the faith.”
Philippians 1:22-25 (GNT) When you stay focused on your purpose instead of your problem you can have joy, even when life seems to be falling apart. Paul is an old man when he is in prison in Rome. He is a long way from home. He is awaiting execution. Everything has been taken from him—his friends, his freedom, his ministry, and even his privacy, with a guard chained to him 24 hours a day. It isn’t exactly a happy time for Paul. But there is one thing they could not take away from Paul: his purpose. Paul makes the choice to stay focused on his purpose, even when he has lost everything else. What is his purpose? Serving God by serving others. Paul says in Philippians 1:22-25, “If by continuing to live I can do more worthwhile work, then I am not sure which I should choose. I am pulled in two directions. I want very much to leave this life and be with Christ, which is a far better thing; but for your sake it is much more important that I remain alive. I am sure of this, and so I know that I will stay. I will stay on with you all, to add to your progress and joy in the faith” (GNT). In Viktor Frankl’s book, Man’s Search for Meaning. Frankl was a Jewish psychiatrist who was taken to one of the death camps in Nazi Germany. All of his family and friends were gassed and murdered. He writes in his book about one day when he stood in front of the Gestapo, stark naked. They’d taken away the prisoners’ clothes and even Frankl’s wedding ring. As he stood there with nothing at all, he suddenly realized there was one thing the Nazis could not take away from him: his choice in how he would respond. You cannot totally control what other people do to you. You cannot control what other people do around you. But you can control how you respond. Choose to serve others, even when you are hurting. Choose to forgive. Choose to focus on God’s promises and not your circumstances. Those are the kind of choices that lead to greater faith. Then, your faith will produce greater joy. “It does not matter! I am happy about it—just so Christ is preached in every way possible, whether from wrong or right motives. And I will continue to be happy.”
Philippians 1:18 (GNT) You can be happy in life if you don’t let other people control your attitude. In Philippians 1:15-17, Paul talks about different kinds of people who are affecting his ministry while he is a prisoner in Rome. There are some whom he considers comrades and encourage him in his ministry. Others are criticizing, competing with, or conspiring against his ministry. “Some of them preach Christ because they are jealous and quarrelsome, but others from genuine good will. These do so from love, because they know that God has given me the work of defending the gospel. The others do not proclaim Christ sincerely, but from a spirit of selfish ambition; they think that they will make more trouble for me while I am in prison” (Philippians 1:15-17 GNT). Few things rob your happiness faster than being criticized or feeling like others are working against you. Why? Because we all want to be loved. We all want approval. We all want people to like us. Yet even with the negativity toward his ministry, Paul says in Philippians 1:18, “It does not matter! I am happy about it—just so Christ is preached in every way possible, whether from wrong or right motives. And I will continue to be happy” (GNT). You don’t need other people’s approval to be happy. You’re as happy as you choose to be! If others are unhappy with you, that’s their choice. If you haven’t earned someone’s approval by now, you’re probably not going to get it—and you’re going to be miserable if you try to live for the approval of everybody else. Paul later explains in verses 29 and 30 why you can be happy no matter what: “For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for him. We are in this struggle together. You have seen my struggle in the past, and you know that I am still in the midst of it” (NLT). Paul says it is a privilege to suffer when you’re doing the right thing, because that’s when you’re most like Jesus. Don’t let what other people say or do control your happiness. Your joy comes from the Lord! |
AuthorTaken from Daily Hope by Rick Warren. Categories
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