January 23
Learning to be Happy
Pr 16:20…whoso trusteth in the LORD, happy is he.
Years ago I had a picture of a monkey dressed in a ragged
suit, with a rumpled hat on its head and
a stub of a used cigar in its paw. He was sitting on a curb with his feet in
the gutter. The caption said “I have been rich, and I have been poor – rich is better” That picture sort of reminds me of
myself. “I have been angry and I have
been happy - happy is better.”
I was an angry
Christian for many years. There were some deep hurts from my childhood and life
was not easy growing up poor. Lots of
things made me angry. It didn’t take much.
A car that was parked crooked and took up two spaces so I had to park 6
rows farther away was enough to make me growl all day. While I was a relatively pleasant fellow
there was always anger just below the surface.
But one day that completely changed.
Did I have to suffer a catastrophe, or other major event to make that change? No, just a Chinese fortune cookie which said “No
man can take your happiness!” Now that
really made me mad! What kind of stupid
lie was that anyway? People made me mad. Things broke and made me angry. Sometimes I became angry over some circumstance
that was not my fault but which affected me. And I had every right to be angry!
I was still angry when I returned home
so I went to my library and started doing some research on happiness. I knew that Chinese fortune cookie was wrong
and I would prove it.
Warren Wiersbe has a book on Philippians entitled Be Happy. When I pulled that book from my shelf and
started reading I had no idea that a study of Philippians would be life
changing and turn me from an angry Christian into a happy Christian. This is not the place for a lengthy Bible
study so I will summarize what I learned.
Wiersbe pointed out that the four chapters in Phillipians each dealt
with different ways we could lose our happiness. 1- circumstances, 2- people, 3-things
and 4-worry .
A few days later I came into the house sputtering over the
lawn mower that would not start! My dear
wife simply asked me “Well, what did you give your happiness to this time?” She was absolutely right. There was no way a
pile of metal could take anything from me. I had given my happiness away to a
thing. It might sound silly but I turned
around, walked back to that lawn mower, gave it a kick and said “ You can’t
have my happiness you stupid lawnmower. I am taking it back. I don’t care if
you want to run or not. It isn’t worth my happiness” And I did take it back, and went smiling into
the house. I only had to do that once.
From then on when I
would start feeling angry I would mentally stop and say to myself. “No that isn’t
worth giving up my happiness” It only
took a couple months or less and I didn’t even have to think about it. It just
became second nature to me. I really am happy all the time now. Yes, sad things
still make me sad. Both my sisters died recently. One just 4 days ago as I write
this. While I am sad, there is a deep joy inside of me that keeps me happy all
the time, even in sadness.
The opening verse is incomplete. The entire verse has the two keys to real
happiness.
Pr 16:20 ¶ He that handleth a matter wisely shall find
good:
and whoso trusteth in the LORD, happy is he.
We cannot obtain happiness by just praying and laying in a
hammock waiting for one of God’s angels to come with a magic wand and make us
all happy. Wham-bam you are now happy!.
The verse details the two ingredients of true happiness. Gaining wisdom enough to handle matters
wisely is the first ingredient. Most of
us realize we are not the smartest rabbit on the bunny trail. So how do we
become wise and learn to use wisdom?
Ps 111:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom
Pr 2:6 For the LORD giveth wisdom
How will you know when you have gained wisdom? The answer is also in the verse. You have
wisdom when you have learned to trust in the LORD. We must use wisdom to do our part, but beyond
what we can do we must leave the rest in God’s hands. That is what trusting in
the Lord is all about. Leave it in his hands. Take your burden to the Lord and leave it there.
Pr 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not
unto thine own understanding
Wiersbe points out that when you do not lose your happiness
over circumstances, things or people then chapter four explains there is then
nothing to worry about. If you are not
happy is it because you have not learned to trust God to work it out. Count your blessings. Leave the rest to
God. Do not give your happiness to anything.
“No man can take your happiness!”
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