Happiness Is A Choice, You Know

"Folks are usually about as happy as they make their minds up to be."

--Abraham Lincoln



There is an acronym that is common with the use of computers.  It is called "GIGO" and it means "garbage in, garbage out".  The implication is that if you program nonsense figures - garbage - into a computer, that's all you're going to get out of it.

It also applies to life in general.  If you go about the day expecting bad things to happen, they generally will.  You've allowed the garbage of negative feelings to turn your day into garbage.

In this day, when it seems like there's bad news everywhere, what we put into ourselves emotionally can have either profound - or tragic - effects.  Those of us who have the Lord Jesus Christ as our Lord and savior already have the greatest gift ever.  But you have control over how your journey goes and what you take in - and focus on - can affect you, for better or worse.

To give you an example, let's use President Donald Trump.  As you might already know, he wasn't my choice in the general election last fall, and I don't think that he's suitable to be president.

However, he is our president, and I have absolutely no control over that.

What I do have control over, though, is how happy I am.  My happiness isn't dependent on who's president, or whether some sports team I like is winning.  I've already got the greatest gift in the world from the Lord.  I'm also married to a loving, wonderful wife, and we have two loving children.

There is so much blessing in my life, how can I let something I have no control over dictate to me how happy I can be?  That's crazy talk.

You control how happy you are, and how you express yourself plays a big part in it.

Joel Osteen, senior pastor of Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas, wrote in The Power Of I Am that our own words can have an effect on us and our lives.  You can say "I am blessed and I am beautiful" or you can say, "I am cursed and I am ugly."  Thus, you should choose your words and thoughts carefully.

When I go to work, my mindset and beliefs lead me to expect a good day.  Admittedly, not every day is a good one.  But my thoughts and expectations make the difference between looking forward to the workday and dreading the next bad thing that's going to happen.

The late Colonel William "Bull" Simons, when faced with a flight in very heavy turbulence, took a nap.  He explained to one of the men flying with him that since there was nothing he could do about it, he might as well sleep.

That's the way to face difficulty.  After all, there's a saying common to some Christians that goes like this: "Let go, and let God."  In other words, let God handle the stuff that is beyond us.

A caution to those who believe that they need more money to be happy.  If you're not happy before you get money, you probably won't be after you get more.

Money does not make a person happy, not matter what the wealth seekers claim.  If I get wealthy, great.  If I don't, then I'll still be happy.

Besides, loving money is dangerous.  Remember that the Apostle Paul wrote that the love of money is the root of all evil.

Wealth is a lot more than just money, anyway.  Many of us here in the United States are so blessed, especially when compared to people in the developing nations of the world.

What is really sad to me is seeing Christians who constantly talk negatively or are constantly unhappy.  Happiness is a choice, and they choose to be unhappy - even with the knowledge of their salvation.

I'm never entirely certain why people choose to be unhappy.  Do they feel let down by life, or left behind by others and their successes?  Or is it a shielding mechanism designed to keep people away from them?  I never really know, though I'm inclined to think that they don't know any other way to act.

Dealing with hateful Christians is bad enough, and I've written about them before, but constantly unhappy Christians are just plain sad.

That's all for now.

Peace be unto you.