Don't Worry Be Happy

The song Don't Worry Be Happy was sung by Bobby McFerrin and released in 1988. It was the first aCapella song to reach number-one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, a position it held for two weeks. Great song (my ring tone for my cell phone) and though you will not find the words in the Bible, the idea is scriptural.

 As Christ-followers, we should not allow worry to control us, yet worry and anxiety are at epidemic proportions in America. People desperately want to be happy and they pursue it through drugs, alcohol, sex, a new job, a new spouse all in the attempt to be happy. The Apostle Paul wrote the Book of Philippians from a prison cell and yet he said “...because of this I rejoice. Chapter 1 vs 18 Rejoice in the Lord always 4:1, 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything...

Paul learned that happiness is not just an emotion you feel but a decision you have to continually make no matter your circumstances. Paul's secret is found in Philippians 4:11 for I have learned to be content [happy] whatever the circumstances. Circumstances will not bring happiness but you CAN learn contentment.

As you go about your day many circumstances will challenge your attitude and faith. This is your opportunity to remember the recipe Paul has found being happy.

The Next Step

 Your word is a lamp before my feet and a light for my journey. Psalm 109:105

If you ever go into a home improvement store, you will find a whole section of the store devoted to flashlights. Some lights advertise they have 1 – 20 million candle power and can light up objects a quarter of a mile away. It is a far cry from the “one candle” power of handheld lamps of biblical times; lighting up objects five feet away!

The writer of Psalms wrote that God's Word was a lamp to his feet. Psalms 119:105 In the mind of the Israelites, God's Word was something to be obeyed. As I obey God's Word where I now stand today, His Word gives me direction for my next step. There is no need to see a quarter of a mile down life's road if I am not going to obey and take the next step God has clearly shown me.

If you are trying to find direction in your life from God, obey what God has shown you today! Do that one day at a time and you will be able to look back and see your entire way has been illuminated,

Obedience is not a matter of seeing the whole path, only seeing the next step. Obedience increasing seeing.

Rethinking Your Thinking

 Don’t be like the people of this world, but let God change the way you think. -- Romans 12:2 Contemporary English Version

We live in a world that is constantly pushing its agenda and many times it's pretty much the opposite of the life that God is calling us to live as Christ-followers. God wants to change us by the way we think. He does that through the power of His Word in your life.

When we begin to believe and speak the word, it begins to change us. The lives we live will begin to change our norm! Other people will begin to notice the change. You will no longer blend in but you will begin to be salt and light Matthew 5:13-16 that God has called you to be for those around you.

A Naked Marriage

 Adam and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame. Genesis 2:25

It is interesting that when God created Adam and Eve, He create them naked and without any shame related to it. The word “naked” in Genesis 2:25 means “to be exposed.” God created marriage to be a place you could totally expose yourself to each other – mentally, emotionally, spiritually, sexually, and physically – without shame.

This is what makes intimacy on every level possible in marriage. When you are truly “naked” without shame in marriage, you can share your lives with each other. You can talk about anything without fear. Adam and Eve were created naked without shame until sin entered into the relationship. Once they sinned, they could no longer trust each other. Paradise was lost and they now feared intimacy with God and each other and covered themselves with fig leaves. Genesis 3:7

The good news is that Paradise can be restored when couples take responsibility for their actions and apologize for any damaging behavior. There must be openness in our relationship. Nothing destroys intimacy more than secrets. Don't take your relationship for granted. Keep the lines of communication open. When you make a mistake, apologize quickly. This is the only way to create a “naked” marriage the way God intended.

Unseen Forces

Recently a TV comedy aired called Ghosts. The premise is a woman is the only one that can see the ghosts that surrounds her. While I don't believe in ghosts, I do believe in spirit beings.

The Bible is clear that spirit beings DO exist. Ephesians 6:12 and they oppose people who are Christ-followers. The problem is many Christ-followers are not aware they have someone commented on their destruction. 1 Peter 5:8

While we shouldn't be paranoid and see a demon under every bush but we should be aware of their presence. 2 Corinthians 2:11 The ancient Chinese military strategist Sun Tzu wrote in The Art of War that we should know our enemy.

While the Christian life is a battlefield and not a playground but we do not have to be afraid or discouraged. God has provided everything we need to overcome the enemy.

Romans 8:31-39 1 John 4:4

What Do We Do?

I’m sure we’ve all had a power outage at one time or another. It goes like this… you’re watching the game on TV and boom, everything goes dark. You look around the room and see darkness all around you. You grab your flashlight and walk over to the window to see if it’s you or the whole neighborhood. You may even step outside and look for other people having the same issue. 

You go back inside and look around for candles, and once you settle into the loss of power, it’s like… "so what do we do now”? Therein lies the real question. What do we do when the power goes out? 

Let’s look at the apostles and what they were doing when the power came ON.

Acts 2:1 tells us, “they were all together in one place.” They were gathered together discussing the events of the day; the events being that Jesus had just ascended to the Father. Their source of "power" had been removed. They were probably thinking, “so what do we do now?" 

Verse two says, “And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wide, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting.” Sounds like the power just came on.

The difference of this power source compared to the ones we rely on is this power source is controlled by God and does not go out. 

So if we have a power source that does not go out, I think the real question is how do we tap into that power source? Do we only think about it when things get dark? Do we take it for granted or do we tap into it on a daily basis? The indwelling of the Holy Spirit was given to us to provide us with access to the one source of power that can meet all of our needs. We merely need to ask ourselves, “so what do we do now”?

People R Us

 

Years ago I pastored a small church and to supplement my salary, I took a second job with Publix Supermarket. ( Great company to work for.)

During orientation, we were taught that Publix was in the people business, not the food business. Great attention was given to customer service. When a customer entered the store, they were to be greeted within 45 seconds.

I think the local church sometimes forgets they are in the people business as well. The church must not look at people as a means to build a large church but rather as an opportunity to serve. Philippians 2.4

I have often heard people say they are looking for a church that would meet "their" needs. That's the wrong focus. Jesus came not to be served but to serve Mark 10.45 and we should have the same attitude.