No Bad Days

As I rode in my car on the way to Louisville today, I was in a fantastic mood. As in, one of those irrationally good moods. Music was blaring, I was dancing, the sunroof was down, the skies were clear, my smoothie was refreshing and temperatures were up from the past few days. As one of my friends loves to say, “things were going my way.” Even when the gas pump wouldn’t work quite right, and when the clouds rolled in, and when traffic began to back up, I was not to be deterred, as my mantra over the past few days has been “No Bad Days.” 

 I don’t mean that in the obnoxious “happy Christian” sentiment, where many of my brothers and sisters seem to believe that the only way to be a good witness is to always have a smile on your face and not let the world see you down. They might even say that a person that isn’t happy isn’t close to God. I would, only somewhat respectfully, disagree. David wrote some pretty sad psalms to be a “happy Christian,” and they called him the “man after God’s own heart.” Paul wept for his nation, Nehemiah pulled his beard out in sorrow and Jesus Himself wept. If Jesus weeps, then he’s either a bad Christian or it’s ok for Christians to have an emotion beyond “happy.”

Instead, we pursue joy and contentment. We don’t always have to be a little ray of bubbling sunshine, like I was this morning. Instead, when I say “No Bad Days,” I mean that I am seeking to find some sort of positivity, some kind of trace of my good God and loving Savior's grace in the midst of even the worst days. Philippians 3-4 preaches a message of contentment and the pursuit of joy. This is the Christian's goal.

A particular Scripture of meditation on this topic is Philippians 4:13, which has become a real foothold in my walk with Jesus. A few years ago, when mom had cancer, the fourth chapter of Philippians became a real lifesaver for me. I repeated turned back to this chapter of God’s Word for encouragement during that time, and it gave me a much truer appreciation of this famous verse. So many people assume that this verse is all about pulling ourselves up from our bootstraps and becoming all we can be, either in the office or on the football field (sorry Tim Tebow). However, this could not be further from the truth.

Rather, Philippians 4:13 is the culmination of these two chapters of encouragement from Paul to what could have been his most beloved of church plants. The previous thirteen verses in chapter four, specifically, all speak of putting aside worry and praying, all in the name of fostering a deeper trust in Him, not in us. When the storms of life hit us (see Matthew 7:24-27), we need a solid foundation. We get our content and peace and security from others (Philippians 4:10) and from learning how to deal with stuff (v.11-12), but it is ultimately (even in those three verses) the Gospel of Jesus Christ that gives us a foothold when life tries to sweep us away in the currents of strife and hardship.

So, with all of this said, let's have No Bad Days. Not in a ridiculous, unbiblical manner that ignores the pains in our lives. We will certainly have some very rough, painful, cripplingly-awful days. However, let's not lose track of Him in the darkness. Don't get so focused on the water swelling around you that you forget who your Savior is. When Peter saw Jesus walking on the water, he called out to Him, asking if he could walk out to Jesus. When he actually hopped out of the boat and began towards Him, though, Peter realized that the waters were thrashing about him and that if he fell in, he'd probably die. So he lost track of what was in front of him (Jesus) and instead was swallowed up by the seas. Don't be swallowed up. Instead, look for Jesus in even the most violent of waters. He's there; walk towards Him.

He Hears Us in Our Pit

"Give ear to my words, O Lord; consider my groaning. Give attention to the sound of my cry, my King and my God, for to you do I pray. O Lord, in morning you hear my voice; in the morning I direct my prayer to you and watch." -Psalm 5:1-3, ESV

Ever have days when this rings psalm is the cry of your heart? I know I do. On the days when I am sad or lonely or feel betrayed or am dealing with temptation, this is the cry of my heart.

Oh Lord, hear my cry! Oh Lord, hear the call of your servant as I groan and plead with you! May our prayers of praise lift You higher and our prayers of thanksgiving give You the credit and glory. May our cries for help reach Your holy ears and may You show us mercy in our times of need!

The beauty of it all is... He hears us.

"...He regards the prayes of the destitute and does not despise their prayers." -Psalm 102:17, ESV

When we are in need, He hears us. When we feel that we are at the bottom of a pit and cannot possibly climb out, He hears us. When we are on our knees each morning, begging our Lord to give us the strength to face the day, He hears us.

This is great news, Christian! Rejoice in His hearing of our prayers in time of need!

You Are A Mist

When was the last time you enjoyed the little things? I mean, really enjoyed them? When was the last time you savored that morning cup of coffee, sipping it slowly and taking in its smell? When was the last time you took a new route to work, just to see a different view? When was the last time you picked up a fall leaf, feeling the different textures in your hand? These kind of things are only around for so long. And so are you.

"For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes." -James 4:14, ESV

 As fall advances in on my home in the temperate Northern Hemisphere, there are more and more mornings that are chilly. Often, when I go outside in the morning, my warmer breath creates a fog in the cool, crisp air. When I was a child, I used to pretend I was a train (or smoker, take your pick). Now, this is a reminder. Just as this fog quickly disappears into the fall air, my life will disappear from this earth. I have no idea when my last day is, or when I will die. I have no idea whether I will be remembered by anyone, and I have no idea if my life will matter to a single person. And frankly, it doesn't matter.

"Just one thing: live your life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ." -Philippians 1:27, HCSB

This is the verse that I try to preach to myself as often as possible. You see, our life on this earth is short. We are but a mist. Yet, we also know that the bible says to "live [our] life in a manner worthy of the gospel." So, no matter how uncertain our future is, we march on, living in the glory of the cross of Christ, living to glorify Him.

James goes on to talk about how we should remember that the Lord is sovereign, and that our lives should reflect that (James 4:15). I think that combines well with Philippians 1:27. God is in control of our vapor-like lives, and He wants us to live worthy of the gospel. Thus, it seems logical that we should live our lives, no matter how short they may end up being, all for the glory of Christ and His gospel. After all, "every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights (James 1:17)."

There are lots of little perfect gifts in this short life we live: coffee, leaves, fishing on a cool morning, the smell of gasoline... I could go all day. Savor them. enjoy them. Take the time to take them in, because you don't know when they will be gone. But there is one huge, unbelievably massive gift that we have also received from the Father of lights, and we must keep our lives in a manner worthy of it.

#YOLO (Or Do You?)

Recently, I have seen a lot of tweets, both among friends and famous people, with the hashtag "#YOLO," which stands for "You Only Live Once." In fact, here's a few examples from a random Twitter search for "#YOLO" (note: I do not recommend following any of these people on Twitter. I don't know them. They were selected from a search because they had funny or interesting #YOLO tweets):

Week old shrimp pad thai leftovers in the fridge....#YOLO
     -@Hololla

Getting one wisdom tooth removed right now.. #YOLO
     -@YakapoFlow

Leave your test blank and turn it in #YOLO
     -@ohhh_brandon

But this tweet really captures what a lot of people seem to use YOLO for:

I guess when you say #Yolo that means you can do whatever
     -@McGlovin24

McGlovin24 crystallized YOLO about as well as anyone could. It seems to have become the motto for for doing whatever you want, since you've only got one life to live. Don't waste it, right?

And I totally get that. I'm all about living life to the fullest extent possible. Who wants to get to be 70, 80 or 90 years old and realize that they did NOTHING worth note in their life? My question is: for what reason are you living your life?

When I went to the Passion conference in 2011, Francis Chan spoke on a verse that has become one my "life verses":

"Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ"
     -Philippians 1:27a, ESV

This is my YOLO verse. It speaks to how we live our lives. Are we living lives that match up with being a Christian, as many claim to be? You see, if you are a Christian, you're called to a different live. You are called to life a life that radically reflects the amazing truth of the Gospel. Look at the Bible: Peter, Paul, James, and John are all examples of New Testament Christians that lived a life on the edge, giving their all to glorify Christ. Out of those four, three of them were killed for their radical, all-in life, which they gave to following Jesus (and they other one died in exile on an island, which isn't much better). You think they played it safe? Do you think they missed out on a full life for following Christ? No! They understood a truth, which Paul alludes to in 2 Corinthians 4:

"So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal." -2 Corinthians 4:16-18, ESV

The fact is, we don't live only once. Yes, we all have an earthly death approaching, but that isn't the end of the line. Our current bodies are falling apart, but for the Christian, your inner spirit (given life by the Holy Spirit when you are saved and become a child of God) is growing. There will come a time when this earth will be completely remade, and those who are God's people will live again on this Earth. If you have Christ, you have been born again. You are on your second life, not the first.

And if you don't know Christ? Well, according to Ephesians 2, you are "dead in your sins." Your spiritual life, the second life, has not begun. If you remain in this life, and never turn to God to be born into the second life, a life of glorifying Him and following Him into eternity, then you will be judged by God and found guilty for the sins you committed in this life, even the ones you justified in the name of "YOLO."

The fact is: Christ died and rose again, allowing dead sinners to come to life in Him and live twice. So, live your life to the fullest, absolutely, but are your eyes on this life, living until this body dies, or are you focused on the second life, the things unseen, and a future with Him? What is your reasoning behind going for broke on life? I hope and pray that it is the name of Christ that you live for.

Scar Tissue and Battle Wounds: When God Seems to Have Disappeared

Last week, I talked about how God is always with us, and how we are never alone. Yet, despite this, sometimes we still feel not just that we are alone, but that He has turned His back and done exactly what He said He wouldn't do in Joshua 1:9. Sometimes, we feel like God has dropped us off on a deserted island, and left us to fend for ourselves.

This is not an uncommon feeling. Even though we know that He loves us and saved us from our sins, and would never abandon us, we still feel this way. It's human nature. We are short-sighted and incapable of putting everything into perspective. Our problems we are having right now are always the "big one," the problem that's going to do us in. We won't ever recover from this one. We're forever doomed to sulk and weep, and it's all because God turned His back on us, right? I mean, He works for the good of His people, and this ain't good. Surely He has jumped ship!

No matter how spiritual you are, no matter how secure in your faith you are or how holy you think you are, you're going to have this feeling. I personally feel like this from time to time, and it is times like this where I cry out, "God, where are you?! I'm your child, heir and son. I'm saved by your grace, and I work for your good. Why won't you show me love?" This is why I love David.

David, the second king of Israel, slayer of giants and "man after God's own heart," was a lot like me in His approach to troubles. We both are/were emotional guys that wear our feelings on our sleeves. When things are great, David would sing a song (unfortunately, I cannot sing very well) and dance for joy. He loved worshipping the Lord. But when the crap hit the fan, David broke down. He'd scream and cry out and rip his clothes and fast and yell out to God, wondering why God would leave His side. Let's look at David's anguish in the 22nd Psalm:

"My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? Why are You so far from my deliverance and from my words of groaning? My God, I cry by day, but You do not answer, by night, yet I have no rest...

Our fathers trusted in You; they trusted, and You rescued them. They cried to You and were set free; they trusted in You and were not disgraced...

But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by men and despised by people. Everyone who sees me mocks me; they sneer and shake their heads...

Do not be far from me, because distress is near and there is no one to help. Many bulls surround me...

They open their mouths against me— lions, mauling and roaring. I am poured out like water,and all my bones are disjointed; my heart is like wax, melting within me. My strength is dried up like baked clay; my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth.You put me into the dust of death. For dogs have surrounded me; a gang of evildoers has closed in on me...

But You, LORD, don’t be far away. My strength, come quickly to help me. Deliver my life from the sword,my only life from the power of these dogs. Save me from the mouth of the lion!" -Psalm 22:1-2, 6-7, 11-16, 19-21a HCSB

These are the words of a broken, desperate man. Imagine mighty King David, no longer majestic, but crying. Imagine him screaming out to God. He feels like he is going to die, and that his end is near. He has been beaten, kicked and knocked down, and all the while, it feels like God is far, far away.

But guess what? God wasn't as far away as David thought. In fact, God was working for David's good all the while, as we see one of the quickest turnarounds in all of Scripture in the second half of verse 21. Check this out:

"You have rescued me
from the horns of the wild oxen.

22 I will proclaim Your name to my brothers;
I will praise You in the congregation.

23 You who fear Yahweh, praise Him!
All you descendants of Jacob, honor Him!
All you descendants of Israel, revere Him!

24 For He has not despised or detested
the torment of the afflicted.
He did not hide His face from him
but listened when he cried to Him for help."

-Psalm 22:21b-24, HCSB

You. Have. Rescued. Me. Those are four beautiful words. God. Has. Rescued. Us. We are no longer beaten. We are not alone. In fact, we never were. God was fighting for and alongside us the whole time. We're gunna make it out of this. Even if there is a permanent scar (as fighters and warriors often have), that doesn't mean we lost. A scar shows we made it through. When we die, we will all have lots of scars. We may be getting beat up over and over again, but God will keep saving us.

Kevin DeYoung once said that "Christians often forget that life is a pilgrimage, and we think Heaven is on Earth. If we are looking for Heaven on Earth, we will be consistently miserable and disappointed. If we remember that life is more similar to a desert, however, we not only will be less disappointed by our troubles, but will actually find ourselves more happy" (roughly quoted by memory from Just Do Something).

Life's a desert pilgrimage. We are marching forward towards the Kingdom. Things will trip us up, things will knock us down. We will be jumped by bandits and collapse of exhaustion. But I urge you: keep fighting. God is by your side and in your corner. If our God is for us, than what could stand against? And trust me, He is for us.

Refresh

I want to start out by thanking Rachel Rummell again for being a guest blogger last week. I have been in contact with several others since, so hopefully this blog will have other new voices join mine from time to time. Today, however, you have me again.

Have you ever heard the saying, "what goes around, comes around?" This theme is all over the world. Buddhists believe in karma, and that doing good things will cause good things to happen to you. It's the boomerang effect, right? Today, I'll show that while the Bible doesn't necessarily line up with Buddhism, there is a theme that is quite similar. Let's look at Proverbs 11:25.

"25 A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed." -Proverbs 11:25, NIV

It says that if you will give, you will be given. I'm not saying that doing good automatically makes you eligible for material possessions (See: Avoiding the Feel Good Fever). The Bible is instead saying that to those who give generously, God will bless them generously. It may very well be material blessing. It may be interior blessing. Regardless, you will never give generously out of faithfulness to God and receive no compensation for it. I've experienced this myself; the more you're willing to give, the more God will bless you.

Some of you may think I'm talking only about money. Sure, money is an option. But that's not all we have to give. We also have time, passion, energy, and other things that are less tangible than money, but equally as giveable. Look at the end of that verse: "whoever refreshes others will be refreshed." You can simply refresh someone: send them a nice note or text, smile at them, or buy them a Coke. It doesn't have to be something big. Most people can be refreshed by simple things. And that's not all: refreshing them also refreshes you!

When you make someone smile, you smile too. When someone is having a bad day and you can lift them up, it lifts you up, too. It's a cycle that can never end, if kept up. Do you know of anyone that needs refreshing today? Or perhaps you need refreshing. It only takes one person to start the refreshment cycle. Will it be you today?

Below is a video that just screams this principle. It's a commercial that shows exactly what I'm saying.

Avoiding the Feel Good Fever

Ever had a big decision to be faced, and you didn't know how to figure out what to do? We all do at some point. It comes with the territory when you are a finite, trapped-within-time-and-space being. We cannot see the future, and have no idea how things will play out, so we stress out about what to do. This is a problem that has occurred since the beginning of time, and happens throughout the Bible. Today, we will be looking at 1 Kings 22, and the dilemma that was facing Ahab, the king of Israel.

Now, Ahab made a deal with the king of Aram not to fight, and there had been peace between Israel and Aram for three years. But Aram had some of Israel's towns under their control, and that bothered Ahab. Those were supposed to be his lands, and he wanted them back! So when the king of Judah (the Israelite nation was split into two nations: Israel, led by Ahab, and Judah, led by Jehoshaphat) came to town for a visit, Ahab asked Jehoshaphat if they could team up and take back these towns.

Something about getting support just makes us bolder, doesn't it? Ahab wasn't into the idea of going alone against an army he probably could have defeated (Israel routed Aram in 1 Kings 20). He was scared. But if he had some help, he felt better about his chances. Jehoshaphat had a different focus of support, though.

Jehoshaphat said he would help his Israelite brother, but one thing needed to happen first: they needed to consult God on the matter. Jehoshaphat's daddy, King Asa, had been a long-ruling king of Judah, and had taught Jehoshaphat all about following the Lord. The king of Judah knew that if God didn't approve of going to war, both armies could be destroyed.

Do you look for God's approval in decisions? Are you concerned about His opinion on the matter?

Ahab agreed to find out what God thought, so he called up 400 prophets to tell him what God said on the matter. They all said that Ahab would be victorious, for God would be with him. They filled the room, shouting that God wanted nothing but good for Ahab, that God certainly would give over those lands to Ahab.

Of course, Ahab was thrilled to hear it. But here's the thing: these weren't prophets of God. They had no authority from above; they were former idol-worshippers that were brought in to make the king feel like he was hearing from God.

Do these men sound familiar? Let me go further.

These are men that were catering to man's feelings, and not to God. These were men saying things about God that pleased man to hear, whether it was true or not. They weren't concerned about staying true to God; they just wanted man to "be the best you could be." They want man "to reach their full potential" and "live their best life now." Nothing more than motivational speakers in preacher's clothes.

These men exist now. They are everywhere, and people are all about them.

Men like this will tell you that God wants you to be rich and wealthy, if you just follow Him. If you just follow God, he will give you the desires of your heart. He wants you to be happy, all the time, no matter what. Whatever you want is what God wants. This, my friends, is a lie.

Books like Love Wins will willingly leave out words from Scripture, or twist it to mean what they want it to sound like. Does God really send people to Hell? How could a loving God do that? There's no way this could be... Let me tell you, it is. Anyone who tells you that Scripture could be inaccurate is lying to you, and is speaking not from God, but from the adversary, the devil himself.

I'm not saying God doesn't want you to be happy. Of course he wants you to be happy. The Psalms and Proverbs are fulling of verses that say that He wants us happy (Ps. 68:3, Pro. 17:22 for example). But it also says that He wants us to rejoice in Him (Ps. 118:24, Phil. 4:4). This is how God wants to give us the desires of our heart (Ps. 37:4). This oft-misquoted verse says,

"4 Take delight in the LORD, and He will give you your heart's desires." -Psalm 37:4, HCSB

Prosperity gospel preachers will say that this verse is meaning that delighting in the Lord will give you everything you want. That is NOT what this verse is saying. If you are taking delight in the Lord, He will be the desire of your heart! Sure, He may choose to bless you with material wealth, but He may not. Life doesn't always turn out with rainbows and butterflies for people that follow Jesus. Look at the 12 disciples. Jesus leaves and they start the church. 11 of them are killed, and the other is left stranded on an island to rot. Do you think they were delighting in the Lord? Where's their wealth? Where is their perfect life?

What about the apostle Paul? He wrote 13 books of the New Testament. He started many churches. He traveled all over, proclaiming Jesus as Lord and Savior. He was killed after spending years in multiple prisons. He spent his life with a "thorn in his side," which is believed to be some sort of physical pain for him. Do you think he was delighting in the Lord? Was his pain and confinement taken away because of it?

Or what about our Christian brothers and sisters in countries like Nigeria, China, and India, where Christians are being tortured, burned alive, raped, and killed for loving Jesus. Do you think they are delighting in the Lord? Did that make them rich?

My readers, false prophets are everywhere. They are idol worshippers in God-loving disguise. No, they aren't sacrificing to a god on a hill like Ahab's prophets. They are sacrificing to a much more subtle idol: themselves. Following these pastors and speakers feels good, because they say things that make themselves and other people feel good. But God's Word isn't just a warm hug on a cold day. It is the Truth, the written words of an almighty God.

So, do as Jehoshaphat did in verse 5, where he asked if there were any real prophets of God. He knew these "feel-good" preachers weren't speaking from God. How do we know?

Look for Scripture. If the speaker is leaving out words of Scripture, or just throwing it in at the end to give weight to his message, red flags should go up. All preaching and teaching about God should come directly from Scripture. It may not always make you feel good (this is why Ahab hadn't called on the only real prophet around, as we see in verse 8). The truth hurts sometimes. But we must be willing to listen for what God is saying through His Word, not what a glorified motivational speaker is saying through his charisma and smile.

Are you willing to look for the truth from God, even when it doesn't always make you feel good? Are you willing to look for speakers grounded in the authority of Scripture, or will you be content to be fed lies about "becoming a better you?"

The Pursuit of (Real) Happyness

It's a common theme in the world: how can I be happy? Now, I know you are about to tune me out. You're thinking, "Here we go. Another Christian telling me why the Bible says I should be happy." You've probably heard that spiel before,and yet still aren't happy with you life. Therefore, I am not going to write that same stuff you have read before...that is, not only that stuff.

As I have written before, I attend the University of Kentucky, and our fall semester is wrapping up. I had my final Psychology 100 lecture today, and it was a curious subject. The entire lecture was on the topic of happiness. Having grown up hearing the "Jesus version" of how to be happy, I was intrigued by what my professor had to say. Anything he says will be printed in yellow font, so as to distinguish from my own.

As the Christmas holidays approach, we all know about the stuff that comes with it. I don't mean things like trees, reindeer, fudge and sweaters; I mean the literal stuff. The presents. You know you want 'em. What did you ask for? A laptop? iPad? A smartphone? These things, among others, are often the reasons why people are looking forward to Christmas. No, I'm not going to tell you that the manger is the "reason for the season." Not today. Instead, I have another point.

While there certainly is nothing wrong with the things I listed above (I am writing this on my laptop, and my iPhone is beside me- I am not here to judge), we often get caught up in these things. It really all boils down to what stuff you want.

If I asked you today "what is your main goal in life?," you would probably respond (at least within a few answers) with "being happy." This is fairly common: studies in psychology have shown that happiness is one of the main goals in people's lives. When asked how to get to the point of happiness, many people respond with "being well off financially." Studies show that being taken care of does raise happiness. However, there is more to it than that.

One classic study taken asked 18-year-old men "what is your life goal?" They responded as I said above: they wanted to be happy. Many stated that money would be how to achieve this. Later, when the men were 37, they were all brought back in to check on their life. The results were interesting. Those who had said that financial wealth was the key or a key to them being happy in the future were less happy than those who had left money out of the equation.

More studies have shown that more than half of America's "wealthy" adults are not reportedly happy. In fact, people with lots of money are shown, statistically to be only slightly more happy than someone who is struggling to meet their needs for survival. Those people that win the Powerball lotto and have $76 million dollars? Within a year or so, their happiness level is back to where it was before winning the money.

Money has shown to bring some happiness. For instance, someone whose needs are being met are statistically happier than someone who isn't. This is a given. No one who is starving- literally- is as happy as someone with food in their belly. However, if you live in a wealthy nation (like the United States), and are middle or upper class, gaining more income is unlikely to increase your happiness. Further, desiring large amounts of money is likely to hinder your chances for happiness.

The Bible spoke against the desire for money long ago:


But the worries of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. -Mark 4:19

For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul? -Mark 8:36

Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries which are coming upon you. Your riches have rotted and your garments have become moth-eaten. Your gold and your silver have rusted; and their rust will be a witness against you and will consume your flesh like fire. It is in the last days that you have stored up your treasure! Behold, the pay of the laborers who mowed your fields, and which has been withheld by you, cries out against you; and the outcry of those who did the harvesting has reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth. You have lived luxuriously on the earth and led a life of wanton pleasure; you have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. You have condemned and put to death the righteous man; he does not resist you. -James 5: 1-6


You see, the Bible knew about how money wouldn't make you happy a long time ago. But maybe your vice isn't money. You know money won't make you happy. So, maybe you have something else. Here's some facts:

-After cosmetic surgery, people often (and quickly) return back to their former level of happiness.

-People who live in "good weather states" (Florida, California, South Carolina) are statistically equally as happy as people in "bad weather states" (Washington, Michigan, Massachusetts).

-Promotions, success in sports, and tenure at a university are proven not to give as much happiness as we think it would.

These stats show that things of this world cannot bring permanent happiness. Sure, they will make you happy for a while. If an iPad dropped into my lap right now, I'd be happy about it. But the time is going to come (sooner than later) that I will be back to where I was with happiness that I was before the iPad materized before me. So how do we achieve real happiness that will last? These are the words of my professor:

1. Find ways to express gratitude and show acts of kindness
-This is central to the Christian lifestyle.

Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. -Colossians 3:12, New Living Translation Bible

Christians are to display the love of Christ, and being thankful to all, as well as doing things for others, are great ways to do this.

2. Avoid overthinking- focus on the positive instead of the negative.
-This is also key. Without a positive outlook on life, you will be a miserable motor scooter. We are not to focus on the bitter point of view, but instead on the good of life. Paul said,

Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted... -Ephesians 4:31-32.

Focusing on the little things of life can help: the beautiful sparkle of snow is a far better thing to thing of than how cold it is outside; why think of how hard the test you are studying for or the job you have to do at work is when you can be grateful that you can go to learn or work, and that you are likely in a building, sheltered from the outside, being fed and taken care of?

3. Learn to forgive.
-Hands down, this is the hardest thing for most of us to do. Our instinct, as human beings, is to hold grudges. Getting revenge makes us feel good. We think, "Ha! Payback sucks! I'd like to see you do that to me again!" But, the truth is, does it really make you happy in the end? I vote not. I happen to know that everytime I have wanted revenge, or even extracted it, that I am not happy for very long afterward. Sure, it feels good at the time to "get them back," but it wears off. Just like winning the lotto, these pleasures of the world do not give everlasting happiness.

Bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. -Colossians 3:13

I am going to add one more way to be happy: dig into God's Word and let the Holy Spirit consume you. The Bible, in the Book of Galatians, discusses the "friuts of the spirit." These are different qualities that someone that filled with the Holy Spirit would show. The first listed is love; joy is second. Clearly, having happiness is high on God's priority list for you, and He wants you to have it.

Are you trying to find happiness in the world, where it is proven to be temporary? Or are you searching for an eternal happiness in a God that wants you to be happy forever?