“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).
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 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: “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 you’re most like Jesus when you face opposition and rejection. You can be happy no matter what happens if you look at every problem from God’s viewpoint and never let what other people say or do control your happiness.
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“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:18 NIV).
In both the U.S. and Canada, we celebrate a day of thanksgiving once a year. But God wants us to be intentional about our thankfulness every day. He wants us 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. So, 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). That’s radical gratitude. In every circumstance give thanks, because it’s God’s will for your life. You can thank God in every circumstance because God 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. If you’re feeling distant from your spouse, you need to start doing what you did when you were dating: Express gratitude. Write little notes of kindness and encouragement. Make calls or text during the day, just to tell your spouse that you’re thankful. The reason you’ve lost that lovin’ feeling is because you stopped doing the things that created that lovin’ feeling early on, and you take each other for granted. Do you want to build your small group? Don’t just go to your gathering. During the week, text or email or call or write 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. The Bible tells us to “encourage one another and build each other up” (1 Thessalonians 5:11 NIV). As you build others up, you’ll find that God also builds into your life through your deep relationships with him and others. “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 phone and texting? 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. We live in a world where our tools and technology have left us perpetually distracted, and we no longer pay attention to the people around us. If you want 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 our nature, we may not care what others are interested in. Based on our nature, we may want the attention on us, not others. 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 it 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 spouse 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. “I don’t mean to say I’m 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’m still not all I should be” (Philippians 3:12-13 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. I’m still learning. I’m still becoming more like Christ.” What’s the trap that will keep you from following Paul’s example and continuing to grow in Christ? Pride. Pride will keep you from growing because when you pretend you’ve got it all together, you won’t make an effort to become more spiritually mature. No one has it all together! Humility leads to happiness because it makes you teachable. Happy people never stop growing. Happy people never stop discovering, never stop stretching, never stop learning. If you’ve stopped growing, you’re miserable, because you were made to grow. Happiness and humility go together because humble people are teachable. They are always asking, “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?” “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test! ” (2 Corinthians 13:5 ESV). |
AuthorTaken from Daily Hope by Rick Warren. Categories
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