Only You make You Happy

Inside each one of us is a desire to be happy. I mean seriously who doesn’t want to be? Who wants to be miserable and grumpy each and every day??? We search out the affection of our loved ones. We love the compliments of friends. We love the life we are living. We want happiness. 

Although those things may bring happiness and they are great; happiness is a choice. You must choose to be happy. One day your spouse is going to disappoint you. Your kids will drive you up the wall. You could lose your job and your circumstances could be disheartening. I don’t mean to be "Debbie Downer" here, but I’ve realized there is a misconception that happiness is deserved. That happiness is something we should receive and sometimes something we earn. I’m sorry but happiness is a choice you make.

My husband recently visited with a friend who was undergoing surgery for a brain tumor. He is young, he has little ones, and he’s served our country. But my husband said both him and his wife expressed their trust in God and in the midst of this horrible situation they find happiness. 

The Hebrew word in the Old Testament for happy is esher. The Greek word in the New Testament is makarios. Both words are also translated "blessed." The person who feels blessed is happy. Happy are the people whose God is the Lord (Psalm 144:15).

Speaking from personal experience I’ve had to remind myself of this. I love my new home but a new city means a new everything. I have to make new friends, my husband has had a career change, I am completely stripped from my comfort zone and it’s no fun. I can sit and cry about it or I can, with God’s help, choose to make the most of it. Everything is a choice. Your attitude, happiness, is a choice. I am so grateful I can lean on my husband and he does make me happy, but God is my source of strength in whom my voids are filled.

If you are in a state of misery, if you are constantly seeking happiness from people or things, I strongly suggest a one-on-one with God. Express your thoughts and feelings to him. He cares and understands. In some cases we need a mentality shift. We need to turn from Grinch mode to God mode. John C. Maxwell says, “The greatest day in your life and mine is when we take total responsibility for our attitudes. That's the day we truly grow up.”