I recently read a quote from Thomas Edison that basically said only the most insincere person calls himself happy.
Whoa! Someone as creative, accomplished and wealthy as Mr. Edison said when you scratch beneath the surface, no one is really happy? How can that be true?
He explained that even those people we’d assume to be happy still live wanting something. Put another way, as one of my husband’s favorite quotes go – We have a choice: we can be deluded, we can live addicted to something (anything from sports to drugs) or we can live with an ache. (From the book Wild at Heart by John Eldredge.) I guess Mr. Eldredge has something in common with Mr. Edison.
I consider myself a basically happy person, and I believe that’s the façade I impart to others. My needs of health and security are met on a daily basis, for which I am grateful to both God and my husband. But like anyone who lives and breathes and is old enough to have acquired a little discernment, if you look beneath the surface of course there are things that can make me profoundly sad.
I’ve always said God didn’t create us for our own happiness. We’re a natural reflection of His glory, simply because each one of us is a miracle. The Bible says He’s pleased when what we do reflects Him and His love, so we can point others toward His love. But the Bible doesn’t say anything about having been created for us to fill our own desires.
God created us as complex creatures. I’m not sure we’re ever meant to experience just one emotion for any length of time. We can be happy for a season, or we can be sad. Sometimes, somehow, we can be both at the same time.
I do think there are ways we can improve our happiness quotient. Here are some ways I “practice” happiness:
I reflect on the things God has done—for me. Beyond salvation, those things in my life that bring me closer to Him. Even with the ache I live with, having Fragile X in my life, I’ve seen God bringing me closer to Him through the experience.
Reflect on how God coordinates the details of my life. He often wants to teach or help me and I’ll start hearing a “theme” from unrelated directions: my pastor will talk about a topic that happens to fit what I’m working on in my stories, or I’ll hear a song that aptly ministers or helps me to define some emotion or challenge I’m facing. Or I’ll be reading the Bible and something that fits so perfectly to my situation jumps off the page. Or I’ll hear a news story, or someone will mention something to me that fits a need. Coincidence? Or God’s coordination?
I look at creation; without a single word spoken, creation reveals the love of our creative and powerful God.
I try to eat right and exercise. Believe it or not, this really does make a difference in so many areas of life. Sometimes just taking a brisk walk can improve my mood.
I let music or a book or a movie minister to me. Sometimes escaping for a few hours is exactly what I need.
Pray. I ask God what He wants me to learn, and for Him to help me hand over my worries to Him.
Helping someone else almost always improves my mood.
Work on something I love, which fortunately for me is what I get to do with my days, and that’s to write.
These are just some of the things that come to mind for me, but there are many other sources of happiness that life provides. I hope you can take a moment to ponder what makes you happy, and then have a happy day!
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