Mastering Attitudes – Making Peace

If you were to construct a definition of happiness, what would you include? Would your definition include only what you’ve experienced or what you would like to experience? It's difficult to admit the role we play in creating our own unhappiness, so we blame others for our despair. What about believing we bear no responsibility for someone else’s happiness?

What contributes to an overall sense of happiness is being able to have mastery over the good and bad events we experience. Mastery does not rule out what is unpredictable or uncontrollable but does embrace managing one's life so that the effects of unhappy events can be limited.

Happiness derives from learning how to sidestep negative situations. At this level of awareness and insight, we realize attitudes and behaviors can be changed. With anger and blaming diminished, making peace can become a reality. "Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called sons and daughters of God." What a wonderful blessing Jesus has secured for you. 

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Happy are those who work for peace; God will call them his children!

~Matthew 5:9 Good News Bible

So then we eagerly go after the things which mean peace and by which we help one another grow. 
~Romans 14:19 Beck – New  Testament in the Language of Today

Turn away from evil and do good; strive for peace with all your heart.
~Psalm 34:14 Good News Bible

Stifled by Grief?

We're never too old to be creative. What stifles creativity is being overloaded with expectations and self-imposed limitations. Managing daily routines like a career, family and home diminish the desire to be creative. Creativity requires a positive challenge to fire up the flow of new ideas.

One deterrent to creativity is grief, especially when several losses are experienced simultaneously without an opportunity to focus on each one individually. A middle-aged man related how he went through divorce, job loss and a move from his home, all within one month. It's difficult to be creative if the heart and mind are burdened down with emotional issues.

Jesus makes it clear that grieving is to be encouraged. Listen to Matthew 5:4. "Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted.” Jesus not only gives us permission to grieve but promises comfort when we do. To be comforted implies allowing healing and hope for the future as well as the blessing of creativity being restored.

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How happy are those who know what sorrow means, for they will be given courage and comfort!

~Matthew 5:4 Phillips – New Testament in Modern English

Remember your word to your servant, for you have given me hope.

My comfort in my suffering is this: Your promise preserves my life.

~Psalm 119:49-50 New International Version

Create Happiness

A definite connection exists between creativity, happiness and the expression of joy that connotes inner peace. Creativity is not limited by age nor is it restricted by education or wealth. Creativity can include making a specific idea fit your need, regardless of who introduced it.

An elderly woman burdened down by illness possessed a gift for creating warm, inspiring religious poems she mailed out each day to other seniors from her church. Irrespective of how she felt, she consistently projected a contented persona, which she credits to her creative ability for encouraging others.

Despite the array of contaminants that flood our consciousness, everyone still is capable of possessing a pure heart. David asked God to create in him a pure heart. Have you asked God to do the same for you? Jesus said, "Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God." The pure in heart are the ones who acknowledge their need for God's redemption and pursue it like a wonderful treasure.

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Happy are the utterly sincere, for they will see God!

~Matthew 5:8 Phillips – New Testament in Modern English

Who may climb the mountain of the Lord and enter where he lives? Who may stand before the Lord? Only those with pure hands and hearts, who do not practice dishonesty and lying. They will receive God’s own goodness as their blessing from him, planted in their lives by God himself, their Savior. 

~Psalm 24:3-5 The Living Bible

Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

~Psalm 51:10 New International Version

Grasp Creativity with Humility

Some measure of creativity is within everyone's grasp, but creativity varies according to the limits of each person’s expectations and personality. Billy’s father seemed to delight in telling him he would never amount anything. However, by God’s grace and mercy, Billy refused to permit a negative self-image to take control of his life.

One attribute that made a difference in Billy’s life was being observant of other people's achievements and what exactly contributed to their success. He then assimilated what would be useful for his success that depended on his capacity for creativity. Tools for success can be borrowed from those who serve as role models.

Life can be difficult, but people who are creative and reliable can be outstanding in their ability to use barriers as a means for reaching their objectives. Perhaps this is what Jesus meant by, "Blessed are the meek (the humble, the patient, the gentle) for they shall inherit the earth." Realize God is the giver of creativity, so thank him for your inheritance. 

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Happy are those who claim nothing, for the whole earth will belong to them.

~Matthew 5:5 Phillips – New Testament in Modern English

This is the Lord’s declaration. I will look favorably on this kind of person: one who is humble, submissive in spirit, and trembles at my word.

~Isaiah 66:2 Holman Christian Standard Bible

The Scriptures say, “God opposes proud people, but he helps everyone who is humble.” Be humble in the presence of God’s mighty power, and he will honor you when the time comes.

~1 Peter 5:5-6 Contemporary English Version

Want to Be Filled Completely?

Everyone has been guilty of seeking shortcuts to happiness. Parents have been duped into believing if children have enough toys, clothes, cars and the latest electronics, they'll surely be happy. Yet children can still feel deprived, lonely and depressed. Living in a rushed, hurried world shrinks quality time for love and affection shared with their parents.

 

Once caught in this trap of indulgence, parents may need a miracle to break its stronghold, but habits can be broken. First, set clear-cut objectives for children to appreciate and respect what you provide, regardless of how little that may be. Although family time is hard to come by in our society, make it a priority, for this becomes a major contributor to happiness.

Re-assess your quest to satisfy yourself with indulgences to see if they provide the happiness you crave. Jesus said, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be filled." He said this because he knew that whoever seeks God and his righteousness will have their needs satisfied completely. Be committed to this objective.  

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Happy are those who long to be just and good, for they shall be completely satisfied.

~Matthew 5:6 The Living Bible

Trust in the Lord and do good; live in the land and be safe.

Seek your happiness in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desire.

Give yourself to the Lord; trust in him, and he will help you.

He will make your righteousness shine like the noonday sun.

~Psalm 37:3-6 Good News Bible

Dependency on God: A Bridge to Happiness

If you could write out a formula for happiness, what would you include as the essential components to ensure success? Most people have an innate range in their emotional make-up for feeling pleasant, optimistic and secure. Happiness has everything to do with believing life is rewarding and that positive good exists.

Happiness is not the absence of adversity. Helen Keller became blind and deaf at nineteen months of age. As an adult she wrote these wise words in her journal. "Many persons have a wrong idea about true happiness. It is not obtained through self-gratification, but through faithfulness to a worthy purpose." Helen knew what it meant to contend with adversity.

Researchers discovered that lottery winners return to their old happiness baseline within one year. Jesus gave us these words about happiness, "Happy are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Those who are poor in spirit are not haughty or pompous because they realize they are spiritually poor and that all they have is dependent upon God's grace and mercy.  

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How happy are those who know their need for God, for the kingdom of Heaven is theirs!

~Matthew 5:3 Phillips – New Testament in Modern English

And yet the Lord is waiting to be merciful to you. He is ready to take pity on you because he always does what is right. Happy are those who put their trust in the Lord.

~Isaiah 30:18 Good News Bible

Tasting Adversity and Drinking Affliction

Regardless of social status or professional ability, adversity will eventually cross everyone’s path. Although difficult to accept, trouble does not have to be the worst thing you’ve experienced. Francis Bacon wrote, "While prosperity is not without many fears, adversity is not without comfort or hope."

The real test of character determines if you become embittered and lose hope. When God's people suffer immensely, he gives them these words of hope, "O my people, you shall weep no more for I shall be gracious to you. Although you are given the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, I your God will be your teacher."

Trouble and adversity will draw you closer to God and increase your dependency on him for help. The chance to re-evaluate the purpose and direction your life has taken becomes a requirement when trouble rattles your status quo. Adversity opens your mind to prayer by realizing life is so fragile you need God’s help to survive. God will help you. 

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The Lord is compassionate, and when you cry to him for help, he will answer you. The Lord will make you go through hard times, but he himself will be there to help you, and you will not have to search for him any more. If you wander off the road to the right or the left, you will hear his voice behind you saying, “Here is the road. Follow it.”

~Isaiah 30:19-21 Good News Bible

When Trouble Comes Knocking

Trouble is no respecter of persons. It may come in the best of times or on the wings of a storm with explosive sound and fury. It’s presence, however, cannot be ignored or denied. Some people try to avoid trouble by refusing to believe it exists, even when it's no longer knocking at the door but has come barging in.

Hiding from trouble is like hiding from the truth. Eventually reality becomes evident and cannot be denied. When I was a teenager, several hogs broke out of a holding pen and scattered over the countryside. Hours later after expending great effort to recapture these hogs that had taken flight, my dad admitted smoking cigarettes had damaged his stamina and produced irreversible consequences.

Trouble will test your integrity and endurance for doing the right thing. Galatians 6:9 instructs us not to "become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest, provided we do not give up." Regardless of how overwhelming trouble appears to be, ask God for strength and determination to endure. He will help you. 

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Jesus answered them…“I have told you this so that you will have peace by being united to me. The world will make you suffer. But be brave! I have defeated the world!”

~John 16:33 Good News Bible

Overwhelmed by Storms

There are many ways to hide from the realities of life, and everyone seeks shelter from the storms of life that are overwhelming. Job faced a series of catastrophes in rapid succession that compelled him to declare, “How frail is man, how few his days, how full of trouble!"  You may sense approaching trouble and, like Job, feel frightened, perhaps helpless.

It's not unusual to disregard warning signs about approaching trouble. Hiding from trouble is an ineffective attempt to avoid conflict. While it’s possible to avoid and deny conflict, these defenses can prove to be disastrous. Realizing conflict needs to be addressed appropriately is essential to good, healthy relationships.

Trouble visits the righteous and the unrighteous. Job loved God and lived an upright life before him. Still he had to grieve through the death of all his children. We, like Job, can claim God's promise to be our "refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble."  When we do so, we gain courage to face whatever life presents to us.  

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God is our mighty fortress, always ready to help in times of trouble.

And so, we won’t be afraid! Let the earth tremble and the mountains tumble into the deepest sea.

Let the ocean roar and foam, and its raging waves shake the mountains.

Our God says, “Calm down, and learn that I am God!”

~Psalm 46:1-3,10 Contemporary English Version

Playing Hide and Seek with Truth

Most children learn to play the game of hide and seek. When this game is carried over into adult life, it produces conflict with others as well as internal conflict. We hide what we're ashamed of, what we fear would be detrimental to the status quo we’ve established.

The truth we hide from others, we attempt to hide from ourselves, which then creates guilt and shame. Eric Hoffer’s, book, Passionate State of Mind, warns, "The weakness of the soul is in proportion to what we’ve hidden in our soul." How do you hide the truth from yourself? By denial, which is a defense mechanism that damages your self-esteem and integrity.

Jesus came into the world to reveal the truth. Albert Schweitzer wrote, "Truth has no special time of its own. Its hour is now and most assuredly when it seems highly unsuitable to the actual circumstances." Whatever truth you need to reveal to Christ Jesus and others, God will give you the courage to confess it now, today. Trust him to do so.  

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So Jesus said to the Jews who believed in him, “If you live in accordance with what I teach, you are really my disciples, and you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.”

~John 8:31-32 Williams – New Testament in the Language of the People

Face Truth – Free Yourself

Everyone is guilty of hiding from the truth, especially if it's painful to face. Truth calls for accountability although it may be difficult to accept. Jesus told Pilate, his examiner, “I came into the world to testify to the truth.” Pilate responded by asking Jesus, "What is truth?"

Pilate didn’t give Jesus a chance to answer because Jesus' answer would have required Pilate to face himself and a difficult situation. Truth lights up the darkest of days because truth eventually points the way to a brighter future, even if the immediate situation creates fear and a sense of dread.

Hiding the truth is a first line of defense when truth is humiliating, embarrassing and unacceptable. When we acknowledge to Christ Jesus the most painful truth imaginable, we then are freed from the burden of hiding or ignoring it. Jesus knows the truth for he is the way, the truth and the life, and it is the truth that will set you free. 

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Jesus said: “When...the Spirit of truth, the Holy Spirit, comes, he will guide you into everything that is true. For he will not be speaking of his own accord but exactly as he hears, and he will inform you about what is to come.

~John 16:13-14 Phillips – New Testament in Modern English

Your Best Day - Today!

It's not uncommon for a young person to use some creative measures to look older to someone who might frown on their youthful appearance. Young people are in a hurry to grow up, and the marketplace is eager to accommodate their rush into adulthood.

On the other side, aging cannot be denied, even as frantic efforts are undertaken to slow down or reverse the assault. Hiding aging is comparable to hiding other realities that impact your identity. Listen to Galatians 6:7. "What you plant, you will harvest. If you plant to satisfy your lower nature, your harvest will be the decay and death of that nature. If you plant the truth, you will reap the good things the Holy Spirit will give you.”

Each stage of life presents opportunities that may never again be available. "This is the day that the Lord has made so rejoice and be glad in it." These are words of hope and encouragement so rejoice and be available for what God has purposed for you to be.  

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Bless the Lord, O my soul,

And forget none of His benefits…

Who satisfies your years with good things,

So that your youth is renewed like the eagle.

~Psalm 103:2,5 New American Standard Bible

Great is his faithfulness; his lovingkindness begins afresh each day.

~Lamentations 3:23 The Living Bible

An Encouragement at Any Age

Children go through developmental milestones such as learning to crawl, pull up, walk and develop language. Some children are early in mastering these objectives while others are late, but in time most children are successful in acquiring these skills. Each stage of life has to be met with resilience to overcome expected frustrations.

While there are major milestones to be experienced and accepted during each stage of life, most obstacles can be overcome. One myth about senior adulthood is that a decline in mental functioning is inevitable. While this is true in some cases, your attitude and willingness to exercise your intellect will keep you sharp as you grow older.

Again, it's your attitude and beliefs that impact your personal joy and satisfaction while acquiring a life worth living. Being an encouragement to others is a rewarding task at any age. Proverbs 16:24 is a reminder that  "Encouragement is like a honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and healing to the bones.” Why not adopt encouragement as your objective? 

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Remember your Creator in the days of your youth.

~Ecclesiastes 12:1a New International Version

I have created you and cared for you since you were born.

I will be your God through all your lifetime, 
yes, even when your hair is white with age.

I made you and I will care for you. 

I will carry you along and be your Savior.

~Isaiah 46:3-4 The Living Bible