**Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart ** Psalm 37:4
All of us want to live free and be happy. All of us want to live without pain or worry. All of us want to see that our lives mean something. We have no guarantees that we can have all of that, all of the time, here on earth. But we can have some of it, today. The Bible is more than words. It is a lifestyle. Put these into practice every day and watch your happiness thermometer go up and up.
Let’s look at 6 keys to having a happy and prosperous life.
- ** I will bless the Lord at all times** Ps 34…**Pray without ceasing** 1 Thess 5—We can’t stand in our kitchen singing all day or in our bedroom on our knees praying all day. We have to go to work, take care of the kids, run our errands, feed the dog…there is a lot on our lists, right? But we can have a running conversation with the Lord….’ Father, thank you for waking me up today’….’Lord, help me be a good steward with our money while I shop for the family today’…’Jesus, thank you for my job, so I can pay my bills-help me to be a light for you at work’…’Lord, you are so merciful and I do not deserve your help, but please keep me safe as I drive in traffic today.’ ….Sharing every moment with our God will help us stay calm and focused.
- **Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.–for without me ye can do nothing. ** John 15–abiding–see #1–The Trinity lives within us. The Holy Spirit reminds us of what He has taught us. God’s word is hidden in our hearts. As we praise and pray, we can speak God’s Word back to Him, reminding Him and ourselves of His promises. Those promises give us the source of our prayers and give us the faith we need to trust Him at His word. We can make our decisions based on what His Word tells us. We can yield each moment to His will. ‘Lord, your Word promises to provide my every need, help me, Lord to see how you are providing for my needs today.’
- **In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God….** 1 Thess 5…Be thankful for everything!! Every blessing, every suffering. Every kind word we hear, every hurtful word that teaches us more profoundly the importance of how we should speak to others. Do this every day and see how your happy goes up and up. Gratitude is a powerful source for a happy life.
- ** Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. ** Matthew 11…Humility…love vaunts not itself…remember that we are not God’s gift to mankind, but Jesus is His gift to mankind. Humility gives us peace. Humility stops conflict in its track.
- ** Till I come, give attendance to reading ** 1 Timothy 4…Read your Bible, then, read it again. Read every day, even if it is just a couple verses. All of us have time for two verses a day. But read, and then read some more. Reading flushes out the garbage of the world from our minds. Reading replaces evil thoughts with God’s thoughts. Reading is the starting point to wisdom. Reading fills our heart and soul with good thoughts so that good things will come out of our mouths. Read and, then, read some more.
- ** Love one another** John 13, 15, 1 Cor 13…Be patient, be kind, don’t be a control freak, a bully or an abuser… See # 5….clean minds, clean hearts, clean mouths…Help someone who is going through a tough time. Be patient with someone else’s growth. Don’t force them to be what they are not ready to be. Believe that God is still working in the person that is making you crazy. Hope for a resolution to a conflict. Quietly take today’s hardships. Talk about them only to the Lord. In faith. In prayer. In praise. See #1.
Six keys. Six habits. Six essential things for our to-do list. Six things that will transform our dark thoughts into light. Six habits that will change our hearts and put a smile on our face.
**Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart ** Psalm 37:4