Why doesn’t Paul smile?

If you want to catch happiness, open your Bible and go fishing.

Some people wonder why I don’t smile a lot and it’s true… I don’t.  I do smile but probably not even close to as much as I should. By some, I’m considered a funny person. I love to tell jokes and look at the whimsical side of life. Yet, it’s rare to see me smile.

Does that mean I’m not happy….not at all. I can honestly say that life does wear me down a bit and sometimes I’m a bit grumpy. (See my blog on the 2 Frogs). I’m working on my smile but I am a happy person. There is more to my smiling abilities and mostly I don’t smile for physical reasons. Ask me sometime…I’ll tell you.

This blog is about happiness and joy and why you and Paul SHOULD smile,

1 Thessalonians 5:16 – 18

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

Have you ever seen a Christian who just seemed to walk in the glorious joy of God’s happiness? It seems that no matter what they are doing, or where they are going, they always seem upbeat, happy, and focused on others. We all say that we want to be happy. And, many of us actually search for ways to make us happy, but the problem is that we usually search in the world.

There are no words to describe a joyful feeling, but if you have ever felt it, you know what I am talking about, and if you have never felt it, well, you have no idea what I am talking about. According to God, we are to have that feeling of joy all the time. You can look in a lot of places, but there is only one place a person can find that kind of joy.  That place is in Jesus Christ.

Do you want Him badly enough to give up the very control of your life and turn it over to Him? Have you kept such a tight control over every aspect of your life that you have ended up shutting Jesus out? Even if this describes you ‘just a little’, let me ask you one other question. Are you happy being this way?

LUKE 10:20 - Rejoice because your names are registered as citizens of Heaven.

PSALM 118:24 - This is the day that the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.

Can you think of any situation in your life that God will not be there to go through with you? Can you think of any sin you might be able to commit that God cannot spare you from?

A few years back, I was almost homeless. I lived in a garage with nothing but a bathroom and a sleeping area. My vehicle was on its last legs and I was unemployed. I made just enough money to pay rent for the garage, keep my car running and somehow pay my bills from my Veteran disability. I lived paycheck to paycheck.

Even though the situation seemed pretty hopeless, I was happy. I prayed every day and read God’s will for me. In God’s time he gave me a job, a better place to live and a trustworthy vehicle. God doesn’t give you anything you’re not ready for and because I was Thankful for what I had.

The only way we can find joy is to pray without stopping, and give thanks for everything because it is God’s will for us to do so.

PHILIPPIANS 2:13 for god is working in you, giving you the desire to obey Him and the power to do what pleases Him.

PSALM 37:5 Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust Him, and He will help you.

It may not be easy to rejoice about everything in your life; to pray all the time; to give thanks in everything, but it can be done. The more we truly trust in Him, the more He helps us by giving us everything we need to rejoice, pray and give thanks.

We can go around with a frown on our face, always looking at how bad things are and feeling sorry for ourselves, or we can go around with a smile in our heart, rejoicing for all the good things we have in life. God does not want us to worry and fret. He does not want us to be unhappy, always looking at what we wish we had instead of what we do have.

Remember the story about the man who had no shoes? He was very sad till he met a man with no feet. All of a sudden, having no shoes doesn’t seem to be too big a worry, does it?

Think about what your biggest problem is right now. Do you think it is a problem to just you, or do you think it is a problem for God, too? Every problem we have can be traced back to one thing: The fact that we did not get our way about something.

Rejoice in those things you have in your life. For us to be ungrateful and walk around in misery every day is to deny Christ His rightful place in our life