Inspiration
"I have lived such a rich and blessed life...I only wish I had realized it earlier." - T.S. Elliot
The quote above reminds me that happ(y)ness does not come from external circumstances. How often have you been ecstatic for being hired for "the perfect job" or gotten that date with the perfect person, only to find that the joy from each was fleeting?
The picture above helps give me some perspective.
We have to know how to recognize our blessings as they come, rather than be always on the lookout for the next "great thing" that we hope will happen and "make us" happy. We have to choose this state of mind or we will be destined to live an unfulfilled life. I write these words to myself more than to anyone.
Of course, any attempt I might make to find that joy inside will have as its Source the Author of Joy and all blessings Himself. If I didn't, the wellspring would be a limited, and hollow, and - ultimately - artificial one. There are other pearls of wisdom we all find outside the Bible, and I quote a lot of them in my "Quotes" archive, but I wouldn't regard any as worth a dime if it contradict The Bible. And most wise things you find elsewhere are in fact already stated in the Good Book as well.
Lasting and real Joy can only come from understanding our real and Royal Family relationship to God, who treasures us above all things and wants to bless us. He can start to do that best only after Salvation, when we accept His sacrifice on the Cross for our sins. Learning to love those blessings even when we are going through rough spots is a state of mind that we have to cultivate and practice, and it is the main key to being happy in any circumstance. There are those who have managed this even while in prison or POW camps, so I am not just beating the air with that statement.
My parting thought is that this is only possible for people who know how short our stint on Earth is in relation to the Reward that awaits all Christians after death.
Privately and conveniently hear messages from my two favorite pastors
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