Behind Those Eyes: Ms. Happiness (Chapter 4)

"God's Word is like a mirror in that it reveals to us our true nature"

~Alicia Britt Chole, Annonymous: Jesus hidden years and yours

I found this chapter a whole lot easier to stomach. I'm afraid I am not one to hide my emotions. If I am not happy...it shows (not always a good thing) and the opposite is true that when I am happy, you can tell. As I approached this chapter, before even reading the first words written by Lisa, I mentally asked myself "what makes me happy?" I immediately thought of my red paisley devotional chair. I have such contentment, security and joy when I am in it. Why? Because I have learned that my joy comes from God. Even in the worst of situations, I have internally experienced great peace and joy amidst the chaos. I love that I have reached this point-to recognize God in all things but do I live it externally, 24/7...not all the time. So hence this weeks conviction-to live in the joy I have had planted internally and show it more fully externally-24/7.

"Happiness is not always what it seems, and someone can easily impersonate happiness without actually having it" (pp.58)

I don't know why we are sometimes shocked by this. A marriage breaks up and we think "what went wrong? They seemed like such a perfect, happy and successful family". Been there? Experienced that? I have. Not so much with my own failed marriage (people knew we were struggling) but more so in the make-up of my husbands first marriage. He and I can both identify with the following statement as in the end of our first marriages, he was so drained from living in two different identities-the appearance of being happy, the reality of living so very far apart and I was drained of not caring anymore:

"It is our hypocrisy and self-focus that drains us. When we become purposed centered, internally directed, other focused and externally open, we discover energy we didn't know we had." Robert E. Quinn (pp.62)

Bingo. We drained ourselves dry. Our focus shifted from where it should be to what look better on the other side. We both tired of the fight, the untruth, and we gave in to our self thinking that life would be better any other way than what it was.
When we are not happy we must look at the internal and external causes. In this situation, if I am honest, I realize my focus was on me and not not where it should have been. I am sorry to say we do not regret walking away from those marriages. We do regret the way in which we came together. God knows what was endured in both situations and in His graces He has blessed Joe and I despite it all. Even in our new found happiness in each other and in our now spiritually strong marriage, we have learned that even we cannot make each other completely and fully happy. We have learned that our true joy comes from God and I guess that is why we are so committed to be on our knees together almost daily. Statistics show that re-marriages have a greater chance of not making it more so than first marriages do. Joe and I have learned dearly how to love, really love, and how to be committed. We have been given a second chance at it and we cherish this relationship.

"Happiness cannot be found inside us, no matter how hard we try to make it be true." (pp.62)

Again, I reflect back to my red paisley devotional chair. Happiness. I am with God. A place where my heart and mind is learning to "prefer to go strait to the Expert when it comes to the subject of true happiness" (pp.71). We are most happy, most joyful when we are living in God's will, connected and spiritually full of His goodness. And it is reflected to others around us. I wish it was easier to live this 24/7.
Somehow the things that bring "unhappiness" into our life seems to grab us and shakes us up. What a great reminder of my own life when I read Ecclesiastes chapter two. If you haven't read this, go there now and reflect on Solomon's wisdom. Nothing...nothing we do on this earth will satisfy our hearts, our life, our minds, our need to be loved. Nothing can fulfill any of those areas as the Lord can. I personally have found scripture to be the most powerful tool to fight off the grip of false happiness or discontentment. Currently, I cling to the verse I received at the She Speaks conference from Deut. 33:12 "Let the beloved of the LORD rest secure in Him, for He shields him all day long, and the one the LORD loves rests between His shoulders."

Comfort. Secure. Rest. Peace. All of it comes from God. All of it leads to joy (happiness).

"This joy cannot be revoked, and it won't be changed according to our circumstances....the reality is joy that comes from our heavenly Father is easily achieved and readily offered." (pp.74)
So accept it. Live in it and be blessed. Don't let satan steal your joy!! Change your focus, change what you search for to bring you happiness. And remember our challenge verse:

You have made known to me the path of life; You will fill me with joy in Your presence, with eternal pleasures at Your right hand. ~Psalm 16:11

What stands in the way of me living fully in the joy I experience every time I sit quietly in that red paisley chair? Me. I need less of me and more of Christ. How about you?

For more refection from this blog Bible study stop over to our host Lelia's blog site!

Prayerfully, Pamela (MrsJoeB)

10/16-I have an addition to add to this chapter from one of my devotional readings this morning. It's worth sharing!

"I like to cultivate the spirit of happiness! It retunes my soul and keeps it so perfectly in tune that satan is fraid to touch it. The cords of my soul become so vibrant and full of heavenly electricity that he takes his friendish fingers from me and goes somewhere else! Satan is always weary of interfering with me when my heart is full of the happiness and joy of the Holy Spirit." ~L.B. Cowman, Streams in the Desert Devotions