The Apostle Paul, stated these incredible words, at what may have been the darkest days of his life, “It’s no trouble for me to remind you… rejoice in the Lord and again I say rejoice.” Paul’s enduring faith, incredible emotional stamina and phenomenal success as a minister was directly linked to this heart secret. Don’t worry; be happy!
It’s not just some catchy lyrics to a song. It’s a lifestyle! He knew and believed the ancient proverb that said, “A merry, happy heart was good medicine (Prov 17:22).” And I am seeking to live by his godly advice… Yes I know there are hardships and tragedies… and trust me, I’ve had my share… but we always have the choice of how we will respond to life. And I choose to life as enjoyable as possible…every part of it… especially the hard parts! I know this sounds like an empty cliche, but life is a journey not a destination. We miss most of what life is really about because we are focused on getting “there.” The problem is, however, if I don’t enjoy here, I seldom have the capability of enjoying “there.”
If I can’t be happy today, I won’t be happy tomorrow, because when tomorrow gets here, it will be today again. Until I can enjoy today… this very minute… I cannot enjoy life… Because life is always lived in this very moment! It may sound like a lot of double talk but that’s over a half century of life experience speaking.
When I was younger, I was one of those people that looked forward to everything and enjoyed very little. If I was on a trip I never noticed the scenery on the journey, I just saw the end destination when I got there. I was one of those people that was very active, yet missed nearly everything. Then one day I realized, life is not a destination it is an incredible journey that can be enjoyed everyday.
It is crucial that you find a way to have fun getting to where you are going in life. Almost everyone has heard the scripture that says a merry heart does good like medicine. But we don’t really believe. In fact, religious people are some of the most unhappy, uptight, tense people on the earth. Some actually believe that pleasure of any kind is sin. Hello… read the Bible again… you’ve heard it… “enter his gates with thanksgiving, enter his courts with, make a joyful noise unto the Lord, sing, shout, dance… rejoice in the Lord and again I say rejoice.” If this doesn’t sound like a party I don’t know what does!
