“Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. 3 For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.” James 1:2-3
I frequently have people make a comment or question me about how I’m always happy. Please allow me to share with you’re a few things I’ve learned in my “just shy of” fifty years of life:
- First of all, give your heart to Jesus.
- Troubles and trials WILL come your way. You WILL make it with Jesus. He will hold your hand, wrap you in His arms, and even cradle you in His lap if and when you turn to Christ. Just F.R.O.G. it…Fully Rely On God.
- Be grateful for each day. Yes, even when you think you can’t handle it, count your blessings and soon they will outweigh those difficulties.
- Don’t judge. Leave that to God. When we judge, we are setting our own selves up for criticism from others and ourselves. We are probably already too critical on ourselves. Also, when we judge we are thinking of ourselves as better then we really are. Don’t forget that we are all sinners, who can be saved by grace. We all sin. We all look and act differently. If we were all the same, we’d drive each other crazy (at least I know I would if there were a bunch of “Stephanies” running around.
- Celebrate in other’s successes instead of being jealous.
- Be empathetic towards others.
- Be a friend.
- Life is too short, so treasure each moment.
- Tell those you love you love them.
- Pray for others.
- Pray for those who do drive you crazy. Pray for your own attitude towards them as well.
- Start your day off seeking God’s face before you look at anyone else.
- Read the bible. Believe it. Allow God’s word to teach, rebuke, and guide you in life.
- Share a smile, a “Hello”, a hug, or just a nod.
- Share Jesus.
- Go to a bible believing and teaching church to stay grounded, fellowship with others, and grow in knowledge.
- When you see that someone that drives you crazy, suck it up, say a prayer, and have a soft/positive/confident countenance on your face (expressions speak volumes…I know, I have to be in check with mine daily.)
- Help others in need and don’t expect anything back in return.
- Use your manners: say “please” and “thank you”, hold the door for others, put others before you, etc.
- Learn from your mistakes, AND the mistakes of others.
- Look for the good in others.
- Laugh often.
- Enjoy doing what you do.
- Live life as if God is watching every move….because He is.
- Make lemonade out of lemons. How you react to your difficult situations speak volumes about you and Whose you are.
- Have hope.
Wow! I didn’t expect this list to be so extensive. And, I could probably add more to the list. What about you? Do you have other “Tips on how to live happily” you could share with us? I’d love to hear them.
The list may be long, but the main thing is…when you keep The Main Thing (God) the main thing, life will be fine in the end.
Now, do I have bad days or moments? ABSOLUTLEY! But…when I apply those attributes mentioned above to my life, I make it. I make it with God. He is my strength, rescue, friend, and comforter. He puts a smile on my face.
James 1:2-3 is what got me started thinking about “why am I so happy”, and according to my search, it is definitely a frequented verse for Soaking Up The Son. So if you need some more detailed, creative, or encouraging words, please click here.
I pray that you will enjoy soaking up The Son every moment of each day. –Stephanie
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