Thought of the day. #6
“More happy than unhappy” That was my answer to a question about how I feel about my marriage. I wondered why I answered like that. The fact is I feel 100% taken care of and loved by my husband. So I wondered why I would not say, “I am happy in my marriage.” I realize that it is because there are some things I am not happy about in life, so I heard the question and applied it to my general feeling.
As I am working on practicing 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, I see it’s hard to feel joyful if I can’t separate the various aspects of my life.
I am happy about my marriage, I am happy about my relationship with my children, I am happy about having meaningful friendships, I am happy with my relationship with my mom… I am not happy about world events, I am not happy about broken relationships, I am not happy about losses… In general I am more happy than unhappy.
Sometimes I need to remember that if I am consumed by the things that make me unhappy it distorts my view of everything else. When that happens I will be more unhappy than happy.
I must be careful to not let the things that make me unhappy rob me of the joy of enjoying those things that bring me joy. I must be intentional in keeping myself grounded in remembering the goodness of God, and all the ways He keeps me happy.
“Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop---some thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times what was sown.” Mark 4:15-20 NIV