Pursuit of Happiness - Part 11

In all of our general pursuit of happiness in life, health seems to play a huge factor in how we feel.

Take health away from any life and it is definitely more of a challenge to be happy.

I know this personally.

Having spent all this week laid up with a chest infection, raging temperatures, headaches, coughing...I probably don’t need to go one...I wasn’t feeling very happy!

When health is taken away somehow, you lose more that your health…

It takes away your choices.

It takes away whatever is normal to you.

It robs you of life and I think steals away happiness.

If you are reading this and feeling healthy in yourself then you should thank God for that reality.

It is something to be thankful for,

It is something that should make you happy…

A guy called John wrote this…

Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.

Jesus also cares about peoples health!

If you look at all the miracles recorded in the Gospels, 3/4’s of them were healing related.

That is because without health, you don’t seem to be able to enjoy life. God knows that and God is more than able to deal with this issue in these mortal bodies.

Acts 10:38 says this about Jesus...

...he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.

If you are in need of healing this week, check in with the One who has the power to heal you.

Something to think about…

Pursuit of Happiness - Part 10

Some people got together not so long ago and conspired to have me thrown out of a plane.
I am very grateful that this conspiracy included me being strapped to an expert in this field of adventure.

There are many things I remember about that day, including the lead up to it and how I felt afterwards about it.
Beyond the feeling of accomplishment (even though I was there for the ride), I desperately wanted to feel happy about the whole thing!
Don't get me wrong...I am happy I did it...and there were moments I thought it was amazing.
But there was one factor that robbed me of the full extent of happiness I could have had from that day.

FEAR.

I was so scared!
For days leading up to it I was happy, but also I was freaking out.
As we tumbled out the plane I was fearful.
As the parachute finally opened I was fearful.
Coming into land I was fearful.

I look back now and realise that fear robbed me of the level of happiness I could have experienced.
I was scared of things beyond my control.
I was scared of the unknown parts of this whole adventure.
If I could have eliminated fear...I bet I would have enjoyed it even more!

God knows that fear is looking to rob us on the adventure of life He has for each of us.
That is why He asks us to not go there as much as possible. Not the adventure part...the fear part!
He encourages us to not let fear rob us or manipulate us.
And He encourages us to look to Him and not what scares us, so that potential fear loses some or all of its power.

One day I plan to do this same thing again.
Because I know I have less to fear...I think I will be even more happy to do it.

Something to think about...

Pursuit of Happiness - Part 9

According to more ‘educated’ types than myself, the book Great Expectations is supposed to be a ‘great’ read…

I wouldn’t know to be honest.

Might have to put it on my to-do list one day?

I have found that expectations seem to affect happiness on some level.

Some say you shouldn’t have great expectations in life because if you don’t expect too much, you won’t be as disappointed.

Some say you should expect beyond all expectation.

Reach for the stars and you might reach the moon type thing.

While others say you should have realistic expectations, so that you fall somewhere in the middle of those other two.

I don’t think that any of the above work for me!

I have tried all three at different times of my life and failed I feel, to gain any happiness from them.

I found I needed some ‘God factor’ in this expectations vibe to make some happiness come from it.

There is a healthy tension for me about how God talks about expectations.

On one hand He asks us to be people of faith, to take steps of faith. To know He has great plans (expectations) for us that are even beyond even our wildest imagining.

On the other He ask us to be content with what we have, to rest in the waiting for our great expectations.

For me happiness is knowing both. Not just one.

I love the idea there is so much more with God to this life.

I also love the idea I can be content right now somehow.

Maybe trusting in God and His perfect timing will equal happiness for you and me?

Something to think about…

Pursuit of Happiness - Part 8

I have just come back from a few days away.

You might think that is my point...that the few days away were what made me happy.
Not this time.
It was something that made up this little detour from my normal week...

I was hanging out with some other great Pastors from around our area of the North Island.
We were talking about what we do, challenges, things to celebrate, that sort of thing.

But also during that time was something even more special.
At 3 distinct times during our hanging out, we took some time to worship God and just be in His presence.

That is what made me happy!

It seemed such a powerful moment for us all.
People were connecting with Jesus in a real way without any pressure or expectations from a Church.
You could really feel something going on that was more super natural than natural.

3 very distinct things happened for me in those times:

Peace - you could just feel it and its ability to take away the stresses I had arrived with.
Perspective - being in God's presence changed my perspective from here and now to who He really is. And to what He has for me. His promises. His dream for my life.
Relief - being in His presence brought me relief from my daily challenges. In fact it gave me confidence again due its ability to left my burdens.

Can I encourage you to find happiness not in a thing or a task today...but in the presence of God himself?
Sit on your own and ask Him to come to you.
Or sing.
Or listen to some worship music and soak.
Or if that is not something you have done before, talk to someone like me who knows how to get there, and let us introduce you to this amazing gift.

You might just get some more happiness...

Something to think about...

Pursuit of Happiness - Part 7

I think it feels pretty good to achieve something.

That feeling that you have completed ‘it’.

Or conquered ‘it’.

Or even done ‘it’ against a lot of odds...

Achievement is an ingredient in the happiness recipe.

This time last year I was training hard for my very first cycling road race. Everything was new for me.

The clothes, the time needed, the feeling of zipping around most days on 2 wheels.

I remember the lead up well because it had some

challenges to it that I didn’t plan for. From weather issues slowing me down to injury, it was certainly a learning

experience!

On race day it was all on…

I started a little slow, wondering just how to pace

myself. Eventually I get into a group and a rhythm and never looked back.

I finished that race not first in my age group or anything super amazing like that...but I did finish.

I had achieved something.

Whether that achievement was that special to anyone else didn’t matter that much.

I knew I had done it.

For weeks afterwards, whenever I went past where the race finished, I couldn’t help but smile.

When ever I thought about, I smiled.

Even today, nearly a year on, I can still smile about it.

Achievement will equal some happiness for you.

So here is an idea…

If you don’t have a goal that will be a slight challenge, something new that could stretch you...why not ask God for an idea on what it could be?

That was last year...this year I have some new goals so I can achieve some new things...so I can get a new smile on my face.

Something to think about…