Choose To Be Happy

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I'm not 0:01:46.959 --> 0:01:49.840 letting what's not working out cause me to be sour, 0:01:50.120 --> 0:01:51.720 not letting this problem. 0:01:51.400 --> 0:01:53.720 At work keep me from enjoying my life. 0:01:53.920 --> 0:01:56.840 I will the joys, I will be glad, I will 0:01:56.920 --> 0:01:58.400 live this day happy. Hi. 0:01:58.520 --> 0:01:59.800 This is Joel and Victoria. 0:02:00.120 --> 0:02:03.080 Thanks for listening to our podcast and thanks for supporting 0:02:03.160 --> 0:02:03.760 the ministry. 0:02:03.960 --> 0:02:06.280 If you enjoy today's message, why don't you be a 0:02:06.320 --> 0:02:07.840 blessing and share it with a friend. 0:02:08.200 --> 0:02:10.880 We appreciate you and pray for God's very best in 0:02:10.960 --> 0:02:11.440 your life. 0:02:13.960 --> 0:02:14.639 God bless you. 0:02:15.360 --> 0:02:18.000 It's great to be with you today, and I hope 0:02:18.040 --> 0:02:20.640 you'll stay connected with us during the week through our 0:02:20.720 --> 0:02:24.920 daily podcast, our YouTube channel, social media. We'll keep you. 0:02:25.080 --> 0:02:26.440 Encouraged and inspired. 0:02:27.080 --> 0:02:29.639 I'd like to start with something funny and I heard 0:02:29.680 --> 0:02:32.919 about this elderly couple. They were sitting on a swing 0:02:33.280 --> 0:02:37.680 celebrating their sixtieth wedding anniversary. In feeling romantic, the husband 0:02:37.760 --> 0:02:41.360 said to his wife, honey, our love is tried and true. 0:02:42.080 --> 0:02:44.840 She had difficulty hearing and ask him to repeat it. 0:02:45.360 --> 0:02:48.400 He said it louder, I said, our love is tried 0:02:48.560 --> 0:02:51.720 and true. She still couldn't hear him, said what would 0:02:51.720 --> 0:02:55.840 you speak up? Frustrated, he shouted, I said, our love 0:02:56.160 --> 0:02:59.440 is tried and true. She said, well fine, I'm sick 0:02:59.520 --> 0:03:03.960 of you too. Okay, y'all nothing inspiring, but here we go. Ready, 0:03:04.680 --> 0:03:07.560 this is my Bible and what it says I am. 0:03:08.120 --> 0:03:10.400 I have what it says I have. I can do 0:03:10.600 --> 0:03:13.160 what it says I can do. Today I will be 0:03:13.280 --> 0:03:17.240 taught the word of God. I boldly confess my mind 0:03:17.360 --> 0:03:20.679 is alert, my heart is receptive. I will never be 0:03:20.800 --> 0:03:26.280 the same. In Jesus' name, God bless you. I want 0:03:26.320 --> 0:03:29.200 to talk to you today about choosing to be happy. 0:03:30.160 --> 0:03:32.280 When we make up in the morning, we get to 0:03:32.400 --> 0:03:35.400 choose how we're going to live that day. We can 0:03:35.520 --> 0:03:40.360 choose to live in faith, happy, expecting favor, or we 0:03:40.440 --> 0:03:44.440 can choose to live discouraged, defeated, focused on our problems. 0:03:45.080 --> 0:03:49.200 Happiness doesn't automatically happen. It's a choice we have to make. 0:03:50.120 --> 0:03:52.440 You can't wait to see what kind of day it's 0:03:52.480 --> 0:03:55.280 going to be. You have to decide what kind of 0:03:55.360 --> 0:03:56.040 day it's going to be. 0:03:56.920 --> 0:03:57.920 First thing in the morning. 0:03:58.160 --> 0:04:00.560 You need to make up your mind to live this 0:04:00.760 --> 0:04:04.040 day happy. I'm going to see the good. I'm going 0:04:04.080 --> 0:04:07.360 to be grateful. I'm going to love my family. I'm 0:04:07.400 --> 0:04:11.160 going to enjoy this day. If you don't decide how 0:04:11.240 --> 0:04:15.400 you're going to live, circumstances will decide for you. You'll 0:04:15.400 --> 0:04:18.240 see every problem, how it's not going to work out. 0:04:18.880 --> 0:04:21.280 You'll think, I don't feel like going to work. This 0:04:21.480 --> 0:04:25.360 traffic's so bad, I never get any good breaks. When 0:04:25.400 --> 0:04:28.360 you dwell on those thoughts, you may not realize it, 0:04:28.640 --> 0:04:31.840 but you're choosing to live discouraged. You're choosing to have 0:04:31.960 --> 0:04:36.520 a lousy day. The scripture says joy comes in the morning. 0:04:37.360 --> 0:04:40.720 Every morning God sends you a fresh supply of joy. 0:04:41.520 --> 0:04:43.680 You can dismiss it. I think that's not for me. 0:04:44.240 --> 0:04:47.080 I have too much coming against me. Or you can 0:04:47.200 --> 0:04:50.120 receive it and say things may not be perfect in 0:04:50.240 --> 0:04:53.400 my life, but I know God's on the throne. He's 0:04:53.520 --> 0:04:56.400 ordering my steps. His plans for me are for good. 0:04:56.800 --> 0:04:59.800 So I'm going to enjoy this day. This is what 0:05:00.120 --> 0:05:04.280 David did. He had all kinds of opposition, armies trying 0:05:04.320 --> 0:05:07.839 to stop him, people slandering him. But in the middle 0:05:07.960 --> 0:05:10.840 of all that he said, this is the day the 0:05:10.960 --> 0:05:14.520 Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it. 0:05:15.560 --> 0:05:21.320 His circumstances said he should be discouraged, afraid, lonely. If 0:05:21.360 --> 0:05:24.559 he was reporting on the situation, he would have said, 0:05:24.920 --> 0:05:27.480 this is the day the Lord has made, and I'm 0:05:27.520 --> 0:05:28.440 really discouraged. 0:05:28.880 --> 0:05:30.240 I've got a lot of problems. 0:05:30.760 --> 0:05:33.719 That would have been the truth. But he wasn't reporting. 0:05:34.080 --> 0:05:37.320 He was making a declaration of faith. He was saying, 0:05:37.440 --> 0:05:42.160 despite the opposition, I will be happy, despite people lying 0:05:42.200 --> 0:05:45.840 about me. I will be happy despite my family not 0:05:46.000 --> 0:05:48.760 believing in me. I'm going to live this day happy. 0:05:49.680 --> 0:05:52.000 If you're going to be happy, you have to be 0:05:52.160 --> 0:05:57.120 happy on purpose because there will be people, betrayals, delays, 0:05:57.640 --> 0:06:00.440 all kinds of things that can cause you to live sour. 0:06:01.200 --> 0:06:03.560 You have to put your foot down and say that's it. 0:06:04.279 --> 0:06:07.520 I'm not letting other people still my joy. I'm not 0:06:07.760 --> 0:06:10.760 letting what's not working out cause me to be sour, 0:06:11.440 --> 0:06:14.839 not letting this problem at work keep me from enjoying 0:06:14.960 --> 0:06:18.880 my life. I will rejoice, I will be glad. I 0:06:19.040 --> 0:06:23.000 will live this day happy. See, your will is more 0:06:23.120 --> 0:06:27.120 powerful than how you feel. David didn't feel happy when 0:06:27.160 --> 0:06:30.440 he wrote this, but he declared I will rejoice. 0:06:31.320 --> 0:06:32.560 Don't wait to feel. 0:06:32.360 --> 0:06:35.840 Happy before you decide to be happy. You have to 0:06:35.920 --> 0:06:38.479 decide first, then the happiness will come. 0:06:39.440 --> 0:06:40.159 I like David. 0:06:40.440 --> 0:06:43.520 You may feel discouraged. You may have a good reason. 0:06:44.080 --> 0:06:47.119 Things were not fair, you went through a loss. Nothing 0:06:47.200 --> 0:06:50.760 looks promising in your life. The enemy would love for 0:06:50.880 --> 0:06:53.920 you to never get your hopes up to think that's 0:06:53.960 --> 0:06:56.640 the way it's always going to be. Just drag through 0:06:56.680 --> 0:06:57.520 the day sour. 0:06:58.080 --> 0:07:00.920 No, you have to kick your will in gear. I 0:07:01.080 --> 0:07:01.880 will be happy. 0:07:02.400 --> 0:07:05.320 I will enjoy this day. I will focus on the 0:07:05.400 --> 0:07:09.520 goodness of God. Your will is going to override how 0:07:09.600 --> 0:07:13.000 you feel now. Mark of maturity is when you can 0:07:13.080 --> 0:07:16.360 be happy even when things aren't going your way, that 0:07:16.480 --> 0:07:20.480 your joy is not based on your circumstances. Well, Joel, 0:07:20.760 --> 0:07:23.440 when the pandemic is over, I'll get my joy back. 0:07:24.200 --> 0:07:27.360 When I finish school, I'll be happy again. When the 0:07:27.440 --> 0:07:30.400 Texans win, I'll be in a good mood. They be 0:07:30.520 --> 0:07:33.880 waiting a while when I get married. When I get married, 0:07:33.920 --> 0:07:37.280 i'll be happy. Or if I wasn't married, i'd be happy. 0:07:37.960 --> 0:07:41.200 If you're putting off your happiness, there will always be 0:07:41.400 --> 0:07:44.400 some reason to not be happy. Why don't you make 0:07:44.480 --> 0:07:48.280 a decision that you're going to be happy today, Not 0:07:48.400 --> 0:07:51.640 when it clears up, not when your boss changes, not 0:07:51.760 --> 0:07:54.679 when you lose twenty pounds, not when you get the promotion. 0:07:55.280 --> 0:07:59.720 This is the day the Lord has made. I've learned 0:08:00.480 --> 0:08:03.520 if you don't get happy where you are, you probably 0:08:03.560 --> 0:08:04.920 won't get to where you want to be. 0:08:05.880 --> 0:08:07.400 Well, I can't stand this job. 0:08:08.040 --> 0:08:11.720 I don't like working at this place. Try a different approach. God, 0:08:11.920 --> 0:08:14.400 I'm happy that I have a job. Help me to 0:08:14.520 --> 0:08:18.000 not let these people steal my joy. If you'll have 0:08:18.080 --> 0:08:21.280 a good attitude where you are, that's a seed that 0:08:21.440 --> 0:08:24.520 God will use to change things. But if you're sour 0:08:24.640 --> 0:08:27.360 at that job and God gave you a better job, 0:08:27.880 --> 0:08:30.680 when someone does you wrong there, you'll be sour at 0:08:30.720 --> 0:08:31.400 that place too. 0:08:32.200 --> 0:08:35.280 You have to get happy where you are. May not 0:08:35.440 --> 0:08:36.479 be in my dream. 0:08:36.280 --> 0:08:40.440 House yet, but I'm happy in this apartment. Not marriage yet, 0:08:40.720 --> 0:08:45.040 but I'm happy being single. This health issue hasn't resolved yet, 0:08:45.320 --> 0:08:48.319 but God, I'm going to be happy while you're changing things. 0:08:49.280 --> 0:08:53.200 You control your own happiness. It's not up to anyone else. 0:08:53.520 --> 0:08:56.880 You're as happy as you want to be. I played 0:08:56.920 --> 0:08:59.640 basketball with a young man and he was always in 0:08:59.720 --> 0:09:03.560 a good mood, so friendly and upbeaten. One day after 0:09:03.640 --> 0:09:05.679 the game, I asked if he wanted to go get 0:09:05.720 --> 0:09:08.079 something to eat. He said, no, I have to go 0:09:08.200 --> 0:09:12.240 up to the clinic. I'm taking chemotherapy. He'd been fighting 0:09:12.320 --> 0:09:15.760 cancer for three years. I was so surprised I couldn't 0:09:15.800 --> 0:09:18.439 tell anything was wrong. I said, I'm so sorry to 0:09:18.520 --> 0:09:21.560 hear that. He said, don't feel sorry for me. Life 0:09:21.679 --> 0:09:26.120 is good. I'm blessed, have a beautiful wife, a new son. 0:09:26.400 --> 0:09:29.880 I'm grateful to be alive. He could have been depressed, 0:09:30.520 --> 0:09:34.480 thinking why me, this is not fair, sitting around in 0:09:34.640 --> 0:09:38.880 self pity. Instead, he made the choice to be happy 0:09:39.000 --> 0:09:42.400 where he was. I ask him how he had such 0:09:42.440 --> 0:09:45.240 a great attitude. He said, when I wake up in 0:09:45.280 --> 0:09:48.160 the morning, I asked myself, do you want to live 0:09:48.280 --> 0:09:49.920 depressed or do you want. 0:09:49.800 --> 0:09:52.320 To live happy? I choose to live happy. 0:09:53.280 --> 0:09:56.679 I wonder how much more we would enjoy our lives 0:09:57.040 --> 0:09:59.719 if we would do like him and start choosing to 0:09:59.760 --> 0:10:04.240 be happy. We can't get away from negative circumstances. I 0:10:04.360 --> 0:10:07.480 can't tell you that having faith will keep you from trouble, 0:10:08.000 --> 0:10:10.240 bad breaks, people that do you wrong. 0:10:10.840 --> 0:10:13.800 But I can tell you those things don't have to 0:10:13.880 --> 0:10:14.600 take your joy. 0:10:15.440 --> 0:10:19.920 You're in control of your happiness, David said in Psalm one. 0:10:21.280 --> 0:10:25.360 Happy are the people who's God is the Lord. And 0:10:25.480 --> 0:10:28.439 sometimes we look at circumstances and it's nothing to be 0:10:28.559 --> 0:10:33.600 happy about, fighting cancer, going through a pandemic, having trouble 0:10:33.679 --> 0:10:37.319 at work, nothing good about that. Now, the reason we 0:10:37.400 --> 0:10:40.200 can be happy is our God is on the throne. 0:10:40.800 --> 0:10:42.360 He controls the universe. 0:10:42.920 --> 0:10:47.800 He's our provider, he's our healer, he's our vindicator, he's 0:10:47.840 --> 0:10:52.160 our waymaker. We can be happy that the most powerful 0:10:52.280 --> 0:10:54.600 force in the universe is on our side. 0:10:55.040 --> 0:10:56.400 No person can stop him. 0:10:57.000 --> 0:11:01.439 No bad break, no sickness, no addiction, all the forces 0:11:01.480 --> 0:11:03.199 of darkness cannot. 0:11:02.880 --> 0:11:04.719 Stop what God has ordained for you. 0:11:05.960 --> 0:11:09.719 It's significant that David started off by saying, this is 0:11:09.800 --> 0:11:12.360 the day the Lord has made. He could have just 0:11:12.440 --> 0:11:15.720 said I'm going to be glad today, I'm going to rejoice. 0:11:16.480 --> 0:11:19.840 He was saying, God, I recognize that you not only 0:11:19.920 --> 0:11:23.040 made this day, but you've allowed me to be alive. 0:11:23.720 --> 0:11:27.080 You chose me before I could choose you. You formed 0:11:27.160 --> 0:11:29.640 me in my mother's womb. Now I'm not going to 0:11:29.720 --> 0:11:34.040 waste this day living negative, focused on my problems, dwelling 0:11:34.120 --> 0:11:36.679 on my hurts. I'm going to live this day to 0:11:36.840 --> 0:11:40.600 the full. You and I are not here by accident. 0:11:41.440 --> 0:11:45.040 God could have chosen anyone to be alive today. There 0:11:45.080 --> 0:11:48.240 are billions of people that have lived and died. But 0:11:48.440 --> 0:11:51.400 God handpicked you to be here at this time. 0:11:52.240 --> 0:11:53.600 He woke you up this morning. 0:11:54.160 --> 0:11:56.760 He gave you strength to get out of bed. He's 0:11:56.840 --> 0:12:00.319 crowned you with favor. He put seeds of greatness you. 0:12:00.920 --> 0:12:03.559 He calls you more than a conquer the head and 0:12:03.720 --> 0:12:07.679 not the tail, One way we honor God is by 0:12:07.760 --> 0:12:11.120 living happy. He didn't create you to drag through the 0:12:11.240 --> 0:12:17.079 day overcome by problems, discouraged by disappointments. This day is 0:12:17.160 --> 0:12:21.160 a gift from God. We should feel a responsibility to 0:12:21.320 --> 0:12:26.719 live it in faith, happy, joyful, good natured. Once this 0:12:26.960 --> 0:12:30.079 day is over, we can never get it back. We 0:12:30.160 --> 0:12:34.600 don't have time to waste another minute being negative, discouraged, 0:12:34.960 --> 0:12:38.240 focused on what didn't work out, complaining over who did 0:12:38.320 --> 0:12:42.559 us wrong? Get your joy back? Well, Joel, I'd be happier, 0:12:42.679 --> 0:12:46.160 but I've been through hurts. People have done me wrong. 0:12:47.000 --> 0:12:50.760 I say this respectfully. Everyone's been hurt well. 0:12:50.800 --> 0:12:55.199 I've had disappointments, bad breaks, lost, We all have. You 0:12:55.320 --> 0:12:58.200 can use that as an excuse and let it sour 0:12:58.360 --> 0:13:01.040 the rest of your life, or you can say, Father, 0:13:01.240 --> 0:13:04.880 thank you for entrusting me with another day. I'm not 0:13:04.960 --> 0:13:08.240 gonna take it for granted. I recognize it's a day 0:13:08.280 --> 0:13:11.000 that you have made. I'm gonna choose to be happy. 0:13:11.400 --> 0:13:13.839 I'm gonna choose to enjoy this day. I'm going to 0:13:13.960 --> 0:13:16.839 live it to the full. When you have that kind 0:13:16.880 --> 0:13:18.199 of attitude, God. 0:13:18.040 --> 0:13:20.880 Will give you beauty for ashes. He'll make up for 0:13:20.960 --> 0:13:21.520 the wrongs. 0:13:22.360 --> 0:13:25.600 A few months ago, there were some birds right outside 0:13:25.679 --> 0:13:29.760 our bedroom window five o'clock in the morning. They started 0:13:29.880 --> 0:13:33.480 chirping and chirping so loudly that they woke me up. 0:13:34.160 --> 0:13:37.040 This went on for over an hour, all this singing, 0:13:37.600 --> 0:13:42.079 different sounds, melodies. One would chirp real loud, there'd be 0:13:42.120 --> 0:13:45.719 a pause, then another would answer. At times they'd all 0:13:45.840 --> 0:13:50.040 chirp together. Sounded like a symphony. I would have enjoyed it, 0:13:50.160 --> 0:13:52.160 but it was five o'clock in the morning. I wanted 0:13:52.200 --> 0:13:55.800 to sleep. The next morning, five o'clock, the same thing 0:13:56.200 --> 0:13:57.160 again and again. 0:13:58.040 --> 0:13:58.880 One morning it. 0:13:59.040 --> 0:14:03.000 Was raining, thundering. I thought, there's no way those birds 0:14:03.040 --> 0:14:08.000 are going to sing today, No way they're gonna be happy, cold, rainy, lightning. 0:14:08.440 --> 0:14:11.960 Five o'clock. Right on queue, here came the birds, louder 0:14:12.040 --> 0:14:15.839 than ever. I wanted to say to those birds, why 0:14:15.840 --> 0:14:19.440 are you so happy? Don't you know we're in a pandemic. 0:14:20.200 --> 0:14:22.920 Haven't you read the news? There are problems in the world. 0:14:23.360 --> 0:14:26.200 The price of gas is high, the supply chain is 0:14:26.280 --> 0:14:26.760 messed up. 0:14:27.240 --> 0:14:28.320 How can you be singing? 0:14:28.560 --> 0:14:32.360 What if you don't get your worms tomorrow? It's interesting 0:14:33.040 --> 0:14:36.200 how God puts something in those birds to start the 0:14:36.360 --> 0:14:37.320 day off singing. 0:14:37.960 --> 0:14:40.160 They're saying, in effect, life is good. 0:14:40.560 --> 0:14:45.360 We're happy, We're gonna enjoy this day. What would happen 0:14:46.080 --> 0:14:48.800 if we would have that song of praise every morning 0:14:49.760 --> 0:14:53.400 like those birds, not be moved by our circumstances, but 0:14:53.600 --> 0:14:57.320 singing the dark when things aren't going our way, singing 0:14:57.400 --> 0:15:01.560 the rain when circumstances are against us, singing the cold 0:15:01.880 --> 0:15:05.640 when we don't feel like it. We could be discouraged, complaining. 0:15:06.080 --> 0:15:09.280 Instead we're making this choice that we're going to live 0:15:09.360 --> 0:15:13.840 this day happy. One reason those birds are so happy 0:15:14.360 --> 0:15:17.760 is they haven't watched the news, they haven't read the papers, 0:15:18.200 --> 0:15:21.880 they're not on social media. Nobody has told them they're 0:15:21.920 --> 0:15:26.440 supposed to be worried, afraid, upset. They believe that their 0:15:26.800 --> 0:15:30.600 heavenly father is in control. They've seen him take care 0:15:30.680 --> 0:15:33.160 of them in the past. They believe he'll take care 0:15:33.200 --> 0:15:37.280 of them in the future. If you're going to live happier, 0:15:37.800 --> 0:15:40.800 you may have to tune some things out. You can't 0:15:40.880 --> 0:15:43.600 take in negative all the time and stay in faith. 0:15:44.280 --> 0:15:46.640 The scripture says, think on things that are of a 0:15:46.760 --> 0:15:51.640 good report, things that are positive, hopeful. Our thinking has 0:15:51.680 --> 0:15:55.360 a lot to do with our happiness. The apostle Paul 0:15:55.440 --> 0:15:59.000 went through a lot of bad breaks Second Corinthians eleven. 0:15:59.480 --> 0:16:03.040 It lists some of these difficulties. Five times he was 0:16:03.080 --> 0:16:06.680 beaten with rods, once, he was stoned, three times. He 0:16:06.720 --> 0:16:07.680 had been shipwrecked. 0:16:08.080 --> 0:16:09.880 He was bitten by a poisonous snake. 0:16:10.400 --> 0:16:15.040 He faced angry mobs, fought off bandits, survived flooded rivers. 0:16:15.360 --> 0:16:20.760 He'd gone without food, proper clothing, sleepless nights. Nobody had 0:16:20.840 --> 0:16:24.560 more come against them than Paul. After being in prison 0:16:24.680 --> 0:16:27.880 for two years, he was brought before King Agrippa for 0:16:28.040 --> 0:16:31.240 his trial. When he stood up to give his defense, 0:16:31.680 --> 0:16:34.680 the first thing he said was King Agrippa, I think 0:16:34.800 --> 0:16:35.720 myself happy. 0:16:36.800 --> 0:16:37.880 You would think he. 0:16:37.880 --> 0:16:42.600 Would see himself as a victim, be bitter, angry, have 0:16:42.720 --> 0:16:45.440 a chip on his shoulder. But he shows us a 0:16:45.520 --> 0:16:48.760 secret of how to overcome all that. He said, I 0:16:48.960 --> 0:16:53.760 think myself happy. You can think yourself depressed. You can 0:16:53.840 --> 0:16:57.400 think yourself into a bad mood, think yourself a victim. 0:16:58.240 --> 0:17:00.800 Or you can do like Paul and say, yes, I've 0:17:00.840 --> 0:17:04.880 had a lot of difficulties. I could be sour, live discouraged, 0:17:05.080 --> 0:17:09.000 but I'm going to think myself happy as long as 0:17:09.040 --> 0:17:12.560 you're thinking about your hurts, what you didn't get, how 0:17:12.640 --> 0:17:16.000 you were left out. You're going to be discouraged. Why 0:17:16.040 --> 0:17:20.159 don't you start thinking happy thoughts? Happy thoughts or I 0:17:20.280 --> 0:17:23.520 have a bright future, something good is going to happen 0:17:23.600 --> 0:17:26.399 to me. My latter days will be better than my 0:17:26.560 --> 0:17:30.480 former days. I'm not saying to deny the negative. I'm 0:17:30.600 --> 0:17:34.600 saying don't dwell on it. Don't relive what didn't work out. 0:17:35.280 --> 0:17:39.960 Don't replay the loss, the disappointment, the failure. You can't 0:17:40.080 --> 0:17:43.600 move forward if you're looking back. You can't enjoy today. 0:17:43.960 --> 0:17:47.879 If you're focused on yesterday, you may have had disappointments 0:17:48.280 --> 0:17:50.520 things that are not fair. You need to do like 0:17:50.680 --> 0:17:55.000 Paul and start thinking yourself happy. I get up every 0:17:55.080 --> 0:17:58.280 morning and tell Victoria today is going to be a 0:17:58.359 --> 0:18:02.280 great day. You know what, I'm thinking myself happy. I'm 0:18:02.320 --> 0:18:05.920 getting my mind going in the right direction. It's easy 0:18:06.000 --> 0:18:09.720 to get up and think yourself sad, think yourself into 0:18:09.760 --> 0:18:12.720 self pity. Why did I come down with this illness? 0:18:13.400 --> 0:18:15.760 My friends are all married? Why am I still single? 0:18:16.400 --> 0:18:18.600 These people at work are not treating me right. This 0:18:18.760 --> 0:18:22.920 is not fair. You're thinking yourself defeated. You have to 0:18:23.080 --> 0:18:26.840 change what you're thinking. Yes, I came down with this illness, 0:18:27.119 --> 0:18:29.760 but Father, I want to thank you that you're restoring 0:18:29.880 --> 0:18:32.680 health back into me, that I will live and not die, 0:18:33.040 --> 0:18:35.200 that my best days are still in front of me. 0:18:36.119 --> 0:18:38.720 Or yes, these people at work are not treating me right. 0:18:39.040 --> 0:18:42.240 But I'm not a victim. I know I'm a victor. God, 0:18:42.320 --> 0:18:45.280 You'm a vindicator. You said you would always cause me 0:18:45.400 --> 0:18:50.040 to triumph. Happy thoughts are God. I'm grateful to be alive. 0:18:50.600 --> 0:18:53.840 I'm excited about my future. I believe you're taking me 0:18:53.920 --> 0:18:57.320 from glory to glory. That I haven't seen or imagined 0:18:57.520 --> 0:19:00.840 the great things you have in store. When you think 0:19:01.000 --> 0:19:04.359 happy thoughts, it not only lifts your spirit, but that 0:19:04.600 --> 0:19:08.280 attitude of faith is what allows God to do amazing things. 0:19:09.400 --> 0:19:12.920 After Paul gave this great speech to King Agrippa, he 0:19:13.119 --> 0:19:16.760 was sent back to prison. His prayer wasn't answered. You 0:19:16.800 --> 0:19:20.280 would think now he would surely be discouraged, surely he'd 0:19:20.320 --> 0:19:24.520 be complaining. Now in prison, he wrote, rejoice in the 0:19:24.600 --> 0:19:29.359 Lord always and again say rejoice. He was telling us, 0:19:30.040 --> 0:19:33.119 even when it doesn't go your way, just keep thinking 0:19:33.240 --> 0:19:37.480 happy thoughts, keep giving God praise, Keep thinking God that 0:19:37.600 --> 0:19:41.359 he's working. Keep being grateful when you could be complaining. 0:19:42.040 --> 0:19:46.840 Keep thinking victory when you're seeing defeat. Happiness is not 0:19:47.040 --> 0:19:50.879 dependent on what's going on around you. It's dependent on 0:19:51.000 --> 0:19:53.919 what's going on in you. What kind of thoughts are 0:19:54.000 --> 0:19:57.520 you thinking, I'll never get well. I've had this too long. 0:19:58.080 --> 0:20:01.679 You're thinking your self discouraged. I can't break this addiction. 0:20:02.160 --> 0:20:05.920 It's been in my family for years. You're thinking yourself limited. 0:20:06.920 --> 0:20:09.560 I can't be happy, Joel. I've been through a lot 0:20:09.600 --> 0:20:13.200 of loss, a lot of heartache. That's not how your 0:20:13.320 --> 0:20:17.120 story ends. Here's the key. You have to give yourself 0:20:17.240 --> 0:20:21.040 permission to be happy. Sometimes we bought into the lie 0:20:21.119 --> 0:20:24.080 that we're not supposed to be happy. We've been through 0:20:24.160 --> 0:20:27.840 too much, we made too many mistakes. If we're happy, 0:20:28.080 --> 0:20:32.200 people may not understand. Can I tell you you're supposed 0:20:32.240 --> 0:20:36.480 to be happy. God created you to enjoy your life, 0:20:37.080 --> 0:20:42.080 to laugh, to smile. Happiness starts on the inside. Give 0:20:42.160 --> 0:20:45.520 God something to work with. Every morning. You need to 0:20:45.560 --> 0:20:50.800 say to yourself, I'm happy, I'm grateful, I'm blessed. You 0:20:50.920 --> 0:20:55.760 can't receive happiness if you're thinking sadness. Joy is coming 0:20:55.880 --> 0:20:59.720 every morning. Some people have been bypassing it year after 0:20:59.800 --> 0:21:03.879 year because of their thoughts. You will live happier if 0:21:03.920 --> 0:21:05.360 you'll start thinking happier. 0:21:06.600 --> 0:21:09.399 While Paul was in prison, he wrote in. 0:21:09.480 --> 0:21:15.240 First Thessalonians be happy in the faith, glad hearted. Continually 0:21:16.000 --> 0:21:20.080 he was telling us again, think happy thoughts, be glad hearted. 0:21:20.840 --> 0:21:24.919 He didn't say anything about our circumstances. Be happy if 0:21:24.960 --> 0:21:28.360 people treat you good, be happy if your plans work out, 0:21:28.960 --> 0:21:32.399 be happy if you don't have any disappointments. He was saying, 0:21:32.840 --> 0:21:36.719 get in a habit of thinking happy thoughts. Don't let 0:21:36.800 --> 0:21:41.639 the negative circumstances talk you out of living happy. I 0:21:41.760 --> 0:21:44.200 was driving down the road the other day and I 0:21:44.359 --> 0:21:46.919 was in a hurry to get to an appointment. There 0:21:47.000 --> 0:21:49.560 was a car in front of me that was driving 0:21:49.680 --> 0:21:52.560 twenty miles an hour in a forty five mile an 0:21:52.600 --> 0:21:56.600 hour zone. Was a one lane street. You couldn't pass. 0:21:57.000 --> 0:22:00.480 It wasn't a school zone. The driver wasn't elderly. I 0:22:00.520 --> 0:22:04.440 couldn't understand why they wouldn't go. At that point, I 0:22:04.520 --> 0:22:06.479 had to make up my mind that I was going 0:22:06.560 --> 0:22:09.720 to think happy thoughts because the thoughts that were coming 0:22:09.920 --> 0:22:12.760 were not happy. My first thoughts would blow the horn 0:22:13.160 --> 0:22:16.040 call them a name, get out of my way. I 0:22:16.200 --> 0:22:19.200 was about to think myself upset, but I did what 0:22:19.320 --> 0:22:22.360 I'm asking you to do. God, I know you're in control, 0:22:22.840 --> 0:22:25.399 You're ordering my steps. I think you that it's a 0:22:25.480 --> 0:22:29.640 good day. I'm healthy, I'm blessed, I have a bright future. 0:22:30.359 --> 0:22:33.800 I just switched over to happy thoughts. Not long after that, 0:22:33.960 --> 0:22:35.879 they turned and I haunted my horn and went on. 0:22:36.359 --> 0:22:40.600 But in the scripture of Habacco, I didn't honk. In 0:22:40.640 --> 0:22:43.360 the scripture, Habacco pult it this way, though the fig 0:22:43.480 --> 0:22:46.720 tree does not blossom, though there'd be no fruit on 0:22:46.800 --> 0:22:50.040 the vine, though the olive crops fell, and there are 0:22:50.119 --> 0:22:54.280 no cattles in the stalls. Everything was going wrong for Habacca. 0:22:54.880 --> 0:22:59.400 Business was down, his crops weren't producing, his income was limited. 0:23:00.200 --> 0:23:03.440 If he would have stopped there, he'd been depressed, discouraged, 0:23:03.560 --> 0:23:06.040 drugged through the day. But he went on to say, 0:23:06.520 --> 0:23:07.400 Yet will. 0:23:07.280 --> 0:23:10.119 I rejoice in the Lord. I will joy in the 0:23:10.200 --> 0:23:11.320 God of my salvation. 0:23:12.520 --> 0:23:16.280 He was saying, even when I'm not seeing increase, even 0:23:16.320 --> 0:23:20.280 when things aren't going my way, slow drivers, delays, the 0:23:20.400 --> 0:23:23.679 medical report hasn't improved. I'm not going to fall apart. 0:23:24.119 --> 0:23:26.960 I'm still going to think happy thoughts. I'm still going 0:23:27.040 --> 0:23:29.080 to thank God that I'm alive, that. 0:23:29.160 --> 0:23:31.800 I have purpose, that good things are in store. 0:23:32.960 --> 0:23:37.359 Are you thinking yourself sad, thinking your self discouraged, thinking 0:23:37.480 --> 0:23:41.359 yourself a victim? It's time to start thinking happy thoughts. 0:23:42.400 --> 0:23:44.320 A lady I know is very joyful. 0:23:44.760 --> 0:23:47.840 She always has a smile, and every time I'm around her, 0:23:47.920 --> 0:23:50.760 she's so good natured and so fun and she's had 0:23:50.840 --> 0:23:54.600 difficulties in life. Hasn't been easy, but she's learned this 0:23:54.720 --> 0:23:58.080 secret to think happy thoughts. She was at a store 0:23:58.160 --> 0:24:01.200 and she went up to the counter just something the 0:24:01.320 --> 0:24:04.480 minute the register asked how she was doing. She said, 0:24:04.520 --> 0:24:09.080 with a big smile, very enthusiastically, I'm blessed and just 0:24:09.240 --> 0:24:10.320 grateful to be alive. 0:24:11.080 --> 0:24:13.639 He looked at her and said, do you go to Lakewood? 0:24:14.760 --> 0:24:15.440 She said I do. 0:24:16.119 --> 0:24:17.359 He said I should have known it. 0:24:17.560 --> 0:24:20.800 Everyone that comes in here like you goes to Lakewood. 0:24:21.840 --> 0:24:25.399 I believe we should be the happiest people on earth. 0:24:26.560 --> 0:24:30.280 There should be a difference between us and people that 0:24:30.400 --> 0:24:34.119 don't honor God. When you go to work, everyone may 0:24:34.160 --> 0:24:38.760 be complaining. Discourage talking, defeat. Don't fall into that trap. 0:24:39.040 --> 0:24:42.200 Stay full of joy, keep a smile, on your face, 0:24:42.640 --> 0:24:47.000 keep thinking happy thoughts. This world needs more happy people. 0:24:47.680 --> 0:24:52.160 We need more joy in the world. There's so much sadness, gloom, 0:24:52.280 --> 0:24:56.040 and despair. If we're not careful, we'll let what's happening 0:24:56.119 --> 0:25:00.040 around us get in us. That's why every morning you 0:25:00.160 --> 0:25:03.399 have to choose to be happy. Not I feel, but 0:25:03.560 --> 0:25:07.000 I will rejoice. I will enjoy this day. I will 0:25:07.080 --> 0:25:10.879 be happy. When you think about the best day of 0:25:10.960 --> 0:25:14.200 your life, what day would it be? The day you 0:25:14.280 --> 0:25:17.640 were married, the day your child was born, the day 0:25:17.680 --> 0:25:20.240 you found out you were cancer free, the day you 0:25:20.400 --> 0:25:23.840 moved into that new house. Those are all great days 0:25:24.240 --> 0:25:27.000 we look back with fond memories. But do you know 0:25:27.160 --> 0:25:30.840 what I believe the best day of your life is today. 0:25:31.880 --> 0:25:35.840 God has given us another day to be alive, another 0:25:35.960 --> 0:25:40.080 day to enjoy your family, another day to see the 0:25:40.200 --> 0:25:44.720 sun rise, another day of possibilities, to pursue your dreams, 0:25:45.200 --> 0:25:49.160 to go after your goals. Sometimes we let the pressures 0:25:49.200 --> 0:25:54.400 of life, the traffic what somebody said, a challenge at work, 0:25:54.920 --> 0:25:58.120 to keep us from enjoying this day. We think it's 0:25:58.240 --> 0:26:01.760 just another ordinary day. But there's no such thing as 0:26:01.800 --> 0:26:05.320 an ordinary day. Every day is a gift from God. 0:26:06.160 --> 0:26:09.280 The scripture says, our life is like a vapor. We're 0:26:09.320 --> 0:26:12.560 here for a minute, and then we're gone. One hundred 0:26:12.640 --> 0:26:15.800 years from now, we'll all be finished. If we really 0:26:16.000 --> 0:26:19.800 understood how valuable each day is, I think we. 0:26:19.800 --> 0:26:20.800 Would live it happier. 0:26:21.560 --> 0:26:24.439 It's easier to take it for granted. Just get up, 0:26:24.800 --> 0:26:27.639 go through the motions, deal with the challenges, and the 0:26:27.760 --> 0:26:31.000 day is gone. But if you'll have a new perspective 0:26:31.440 --> 0:26:34.960 and start seeing every day as your best day, then 0:26:35.000 --> 0:26:38.080 you won't let the little things upset you. You'll take 0:26:38.200 --> 0:26:40.880 time to enjoy the people God's given you to love. 0:26:41.560 --> 0:26:44.560 You'll stop buying and say hello to that neighbor that's lonely. 0:26:45.119 --> 0:26:49.000 You'll think more happy thoughts. You'll live more grateful, You'll 0:26:49.040 --> 0:26:52.840 make the most of each day. Pastor friend of mine, 0:26:53.040 --> 0:26:55.720 went to visit a thirty five year old mother in 0:26:55.800 --> 0:26:59.119 the hospital. She had cancer and wasn't supposed to make 0:26:59.200 --> 0:27:02.200 it through the night. Walked in, took her hand and 0:27:02.560 --> 0:27:04.720 told her that he loved her, that he was praying 0:27:04.800 --> 0:27:08.680 for her. She smiled ever so warmly and said in 0:27:08.760 --> 0:27:12.280 a faint voice, Pastor, this is the best day of 0:27:12.400 --> 0:27:16.080 my life. He seemed kind of puzzled, thinking that doesn't 0:27:16.160 --> 0:27:18.320 seem like a very good day for you at all. 0:27:18.640 --> 0:27:21.960 As she laid their very frail no hair, she said, 0:27:22.000 --> 0:27:24.399 you see, I didn't know if I was going to 0:27:24.480 --> 0:27:27.800 wake up this morning. Now God has blessed me with 0:27:27.960 --> 0:27:31.440 another day to see my children, another day to spend 0:27:31.480 --> 0:27:35.159 with my family. She went on to say, if I 0:27:35.240 --> 0:27:38.239 make it through today, tonight, I'm going to look out 0:27:38.280 --> 0:27:40.360 the window and look at the stars. 0:27:40.720 --> 0:27:42.240 I'm going to enjoy the moonlight. 0:27:43.400 --> 0:27:46.720 You may have some difficulties, things you could be sour about, 0:27:47.119 --> 0:27:48.560 things that can take your joy. 0:27:49.200 --> 0:27:50.080 But if you'll keep it. 0:27:50.160 --> 0:27:53.720 In the right perspective, recognizing that this day is a 0:27:53.840 --> 0:27:56.960 gift from God, that really it's the best day of 0:27:57.040 --> 0:28:00.399 your life, then it's much easier to live it happy, 0:28:01.040 --> 0:28:03.080 to not be side and tracked by all the worries, 0:28:03.520 --> 0:28:07.320 what didn't work out? Who cut you off? When Paul 0:28:07.400 --> 0:28:09.800 came to the end of his life, he said, I 0:28:09.920 --> 0:28:13.399 want to finish my course with joy. We're all going 0:28:13.480 --> 0:28:15.160 to go to be with the Lord at some point. 0:28:15.640 --> 0:28:18.680 I don't want to go discouraged, feeling like a victim. 0:28:19.200 --> 0:28:22.200 Look what I've been through, Why did this happen? Let's 0:28:22.280 --> 0:28:25.760 go full of joy, seeing each day as the best day, 0:28:26.280 --> 0:28:29.800 getting up each morning and choosing to be happy, saying 0:28:29.920 --> 0:28:33.680 with David, it's not how I feel. I will rejoice. 0:28:34.000 --> 0:28:37.200 I will be glad like Paul. Let's get in the 0:28:37.320 --> 0:28:41.280 habit of thinking happy thoughts. If you'll do this, I 0:28:41.440 --> 0:28:45.240 believe and declare, you're going to live happier. You're going 0:28:45.280 --> 0:28:48.520 to enjoy your life. More forces that have held you 0:28:48.680 --> 0:28:52.160 back are being broken right now. God is about to 0:28:52.280 --> 0:28:53.920 release you into new levels of. 0:28:54.120 --> 0:28:57.160 Joy, favor, freedom, fulfillment. 0:28:57.600 --> 0:29:01.360 You will finish your course with joy in Jesus's name, 0:29:01.880 --> 0:29:06.200 And if you believe it, can you say amen? I'd 0:29:06.320 --> 0:29:08.880 like to give you an opportunity to make Jesus the 0:29:09.000 --> 0:29:09.880 Lord of your life. 0:29:10.400 --> 0:29:11.360 Would you pray with me? 0:29:12.200 --> 0:29:17.600 Just say, Lord, Jesus, I'll repent of my sins, Come 0:29:17.680 --> 0:29:21.520 into my heart. I'll make you my Lord and savior. 0:29:23.080 --> 0:29:25.360 If you prayed that simple prayer, we believe you got 0:29:25.440 --> 0:29:28.440 born again. We'd love to send you some free information 0:29:28.600 --> 0:29:30.160 on your new walk with the Lord. You can just 0:29:30.400 --> 0:29:32.800 text the number on the screen or go to the website. 0:29:33.240 --> 0:29:36.160 I hope you'll get into a good Bible based church 0:29:36.480 --> 0:29:39.920 and keep God first place. Thanks so much for listening. 0:29:39.960 --> 0:29:43.120 To today's message. I hope you'll subscribe so you can 0:29:43.200 --> 0:29:46.720 receive the latest podcast to keep you encouraged and inspired 0:29:46.840 --> 0:29:47.600 all through the week. 0:29:47.800 --> 0:29:50.000 Help us to continue to share the message of hope 0:29:50.040 --> 0:29:53.360 with those all around the world. Visit Joelosting dot com 0:29:53.600 --> 0:29:56.120 or click the link in the description to partner with 0:29:56.280 --> 0:29:56.760 us today. 0:29:57.040 --> 0:29:59.440 We hope you'll share this message with a friend and 0:29:59.560 --> 0:30:01.520 be sure to follow us on social media. 0:30:01.840 --> 0:30:02.680 We're praying for you. 0:30:03.080 --> 0:30:05.840 I know God's best is still ahead. We'll see you 0:30:05.960 --> 0:30:06.400 next time. 0:30:08.680 --> 0:30:11.320 With millions of books on Amazon, there's a reading feeling 0:30:11.440 --> 0:30:16.440 for everyone. For example, Raquel's whoa when she first entered 0:30:16.440 --> 0:30:20.640 the Kingdom by dragonback is different to Ari's WHOA when 0:30:20.680 --> 0:30:23.440 he found out there was more than one crime scene, 0:30:24.000 --> 0:30:28.720 which is also different to Ava's whoa the moment when 0:30:28.720 --> 0:30:33.280 the stable boy became a stable man. 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