Happy Living

"Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace, and gratitude." - Denis Waitley

To a traveller - happiness is being able to roam freely without worries or fear.

To an ant - happiness is having enough sugar for a lifetime and not getting squashed by a shoe.

To an owl - happiness is the trill of catching a prey.

To a sheep - happiness is eating the lush grass of the meadow in spring.

To a squirrel - happiness is living in a walnut tree all by yourself.

To a cow - happiness is making my master happy by providing milk and not getting eaten.

So what is happiness to you??

Happiness is when your life fulfills your needs.  In other words, happiness comes when you feel satisfied and fulfilled.   Happiness is a feeling of contentment, that life is just as it should be.

God's Word tells us that true happiness comes by keeping God's law.

Proverbs 16:20 tells us "God blesses those who obey him, happy the man who puts his trust in the Lord." TLB

Solomon reminds us that God grants happiness to us as a privilege :-Ecclesiastes 3:12 "So I conclude that, first, there is nothing better for a man than to be happy and to enjoy himself as long as he can;"

Ecclesiastes 7:14 "Enjoy prosperity whenever you can, and when hard times strike, realize that God gives one as well as the other—so that everyone will realize that nothing is certain in this life."

Ecclesiastes 11:9 "Young man, it’s wonderful to be young! Enjoy every minute of it! Do all you want to; take in everything, but realize that you must account to God for everything you do."

Man cannot find happiness when he lives only for himself.

True happiness in life comes when we bring happiness to others - it is not our condition or outer appearance that makes someone happy, but our existence itself. 

The world offers "passing pleasures" (Hebrews 11:25), but the Lord Jesus offers to give us full and lasting joy (John 15:11).

True happiness is not a function of getting, but a function of giving and serving.

J O Y

For God giveth to a man that is good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but to the sinner he giveth travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him that is good before God.  This also is vanity and vexation of spirit.  Ecclesiastes 2:26 KJV

J   ESUS

O  THERS

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If we cannot find joy in Christ who lives in us, we will never be able to find joy in anything else.  Jesus is the reason for our joy.

True joy has nothing to do with circumstances.  It is really about faith and trust in God.  Paul writes in Galatians that the fruit of the Spirit includes joy (Galatians 5:22).

That does not mean we enjoy the suffering and difficult.  It does mean, however that we have the strength and resilience to endure - because the Joy of the Lord is our strength - and God Himself will deliver us.

Isn't that the message of the cross?  We live and die on this earth, but we will live forever in eternity with Jesus Christ.  That is God's promise, and that is our joy.  Nothing in this world - not wealth, not beauty, not reputation - will give us true joy - only Christ Himself.

Let the JOY you receive from God be shared to others.

Joyful living

The New Testament gives us many reasons to rejoice. Jesus said, "Rejoice because your names are written in heaven" [Luke 10:20]

The apostle Peter spoke of the reasons believers can "rejoice with joy inexpressible" 1Peter 1:8. We're not asked to pretend that problems don't exists but to rejoice even in the midst of them.

In Romans, we see the contrast between the two kinds of existence possible in this life. In Romans 1 : 18-32, we read about the sad, frightening life of those who refuse to live for God. It's a life full of trouble and turmoil. But in Romans 5: 1-11, we see what happens when a person trusts Christ. "We have peace," it says. "We rejoice," we're told. And we have hope, love, and salvation. What a contrast!

Let's remember that " ... the joy of the LORD is your strength." [Nehemiah 8:10]

Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!

Happiness is something you choose.

If you know Jesus, you always have reasons to rejoice.

Joy of Giving

Jesus warned His followers: "Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses" (Luke 12:15).

Paul challenged Timothy to encourage the wealthy in the prosperous city of Ephesus that having great wealth carried great responsibility. That included being humble, finding their security in God not in riches, and using their money to do good. Even if we are not wealthy, God has called us to radical generosity.

It's not wrong to find pleasure in the good things money can buy, but we should never rely on them for happiness. If our fulfillment depends on material possessions, we are crushed when we lose them. But if our joy is found in the Lord, nothing can disrupt it, not even economic distress.

As a Christians, we too are to have a heart of giving. James tells us to listen to the Word and do what is say (1 : 22-23). But he doesn't stop with just telling us to obey. He gives us specific instructions about what we must do. Then he gives us a practical way we can give of ourselves: "Visit orphans and widows in their trouble" (v27).

The Bible encourages us all to give in this way : "Let each one give as he purposes in his heart, nor grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work" [2 Corinthians 9 :7-8].

You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore. [Psalm 16:11]

Kindness is the oil that takes the friction out of life.

You can give without loving, BUT you can't love without giving

Pleasure versus Joy

It's not wrong to find pleasure in the good things money can buy, but we should never rely on them for happiness.

The world offers "passing pleasures" (Hebrew 11:25), but the Lord Jesus offers to give us full and lasting joy (John 15:11). Pleasures is dependent on circumsances, but joy is inward and is not disturbed by one's environment.
Pleasure is always changing, but joy is constant! Worldly delights are often followed by depression. True joy is grounded in Jesus Christ, who is "the same yesterday, today, and forever" (Hebrews 13:8).
To keep experiencing pleasure, we must run from one stimulus to another, for it refuses to be permanently grasped. Joy is just the opposite. It is a gift we receive from God.
Pleasure is built on self-seeking, but joy is based on self-sacrifice. The more we pursue self- gratification, the more empty we feel. If a pint of pleasure gives momentary happiness today, a gallon of excitement and thrills is necessary for the same effect tomorrow. Joy, however, is based on the sacrificial giving of ourselves. As we learn what it means to focus on the needs of others, we find greater fulfillment in God Himself, who meets our every need.

Only when you seek the things of Christ can you find abiding joy.

FOR JOY THAT WILL LAST, ALWAYS PUT CHRIST FIRST

[Extracted from Our Daily Bread dated 05-04-2001 written by HGB]

Joy Stealers

Why do many Christians fail to experience real joy, which is listed as a fruit of the Holy Spirit in Galatians 5:22?

In his book Laugh Again, Charles Swindoll suggests three common "joy stealers" - worry, stress, and fear. He defines worry as "an inordinate anxiety about something that may or may not occur." (And it usually doesn't) Stress, say the author, is "intense strain over a situation we can't change or control." (But God can.) And fear, according to Swindoll, is a "dreadful uneasiness over danger, evil, or pain." (And it magnifies our problems.)

Swindoll says that to resist these "joy stealers" we must embrace the same confidence that Paul expressed in his letter to the Philippians. After giving thanks for the Philippian believers (1:3-5), the apostle assured them "that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ" (v.6).
Whatever causes you worry, stress, and fear cannot ultimately keep God from continuing His work in you. With this confidence we can begin each day knowing that He is in control. We can leave everything in His hands.
Resist those "joy stealers" by renewing your confidence in God each morning. Then relax and rejoice.

[Extracted from Our Daily Bread dated 17-02-2003 written by Joanie Yoder]

Rejoice Always

God is Good All The Time, and once again He sent His servant, Rev. Lawrence Seow from Singapore to share His Word and remind us to focus on Him and Him alone.

1 Thessalonians 5 : 16-18 tells us to - Be joyful always ; pray continually ; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

We need to be joyful, not only in time of happiness but also in time of tribulation and trials. To be joyful and not happy, because happiness can only be found in good time while joy can be found both in good and bad times, as it comes from the Lord.
To pray continually not because God do not know our needs, but because we need to humble ourselves and admit that God is God and He is in control.

Isaiah 55 : 8-11 "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."

To give thanks in all circumstances, in good times and bad times ; when we are happy and also when we are sad.